Patent ID: 9587736
Date: 2017-03-07
CPC Classifications: B60K,F16H,Y10T

Claim:
1. A method for operating a multi-stable shift-by wire selector control system of a motor vehicle transmission, the vehicle having an engine and a foot brake pedal, the transmission having a number of operating modes, at least four of the operating modes being a Park mode, a Drive mode, a Neutral mode and a Reverse mode, the Park mode and the Neutral mode being categorized as non-drive modes and the Reverse mode and the Drive mode being categorized as drive modes, a transmission control unit (TCU) which in use controls a ratio of the transmission, a multi-stable rotary selector which is operable by a driver of the vehicle to select a respective one of the operating modes of the transmission, an electronic transmission selector (ETS) for sensing an indexed position of the selector and sending a command to the TCU to control a corresponding operating mode of the transmission in dependence thereon, an arrangement of illuminated labels, the indication of a specific illuminated label corresponding to a selected operating mode, an indexing mechanism for maintaining an immobilisation of the rotary selector in one of a plurality of indexed positions corresponding to a respective operating mode and for enabling the driver to perceive the transition from one indexed position to another indexed position, and a warning device, the method comprising, when a position of the selector has been detected as being in an intermediate position between two indexed positions whereby no command is sent to the TCU: providing a warning signal to the warning device in order to inform the driver that the selector is not in an indexed position.