Abstract:
A shift apparatus for shifting gears in a vehicle driven by an engine. The shift apparatus includes a plurality of shift selectors that are pushed. The shift selectors instruct the shifting of gears. A rotatable engine start actuator is arranged at substantially the same location as the shift selectors to start the engine when rotated. A confirmation device confirms that the person operating the shift apparatus is an authorized user. A first enabling device enables the rotation of the engine start actuator based on the confirmation result of the confirmation device.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a transmission gear shift apparatus for vehicles. 
     A conventional automatic transmission shifts gears by connecting and releasing gearsets with a clutch based on the vehicle speed or throttle opening. Further, a manual shift valve is actuated when a parking position or reverse gear is selected. The manual shift valve is also actuated when restricting forward gears to a predetermined low speed gear. 
     The manual shift valve is switched by a lever installed near the driver&#39;s seat. In a shift-by-wire automatic transmission, an actuator, which is operated by switches, shifts the manual shift valve. In this structure, an electric circuit connects the switch and the actuator. It is desirable that the electric circuit be used more effectively to make such a shift apparatus more compact, for example, by connecting an ignition switch, which starts the engine, to the electric circuit or by concentrating various switches and lever operation transmission mechanisms within a small area. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a compact transmission shift apparatus for vehicles. 
     To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a shift apparatus for shifting gears in a vehicle driven by an engine. The shift apparatus includes a plurality of shift selectors that are pushed. The shift selectors instruct the shifting of gears. A rotatable engine start actuator is arranged at substantially the same location as the shift selectors to instruct the starting of the engine when rotated. A confirmation device confirms that the person operating the shift apparatus is the proper user. A first enabling device enables the rotation of the engine start actuator based on the confirmation result of the confirmation device. A first detecting device detects whether the engine start actuator is rotated. An engine control unit drives the engine based on the detection result of the first detecting device. 
    
    
     Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention, together with objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description of the presently preferred embodiments together with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a driver&#39;s seat of an automatic transmission vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic front view showing a shift apparatus; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view showing the shift apparatus; 
     FIG. 4 is a front view showing a fixed base; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a circuit board taken alone line  5 — 5  in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is a front view showing a card key; 
     FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the electric structure of the shift apparatus; 
     FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a rotor plate located at an initial position; 
     FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the rotor plate located at a first unlock position; 
     FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the rotor plate located at an engine start position; 
     FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the rotor plate located at a second unlock position; 
     FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the rotor plate of FIG. 10 from another view; 
     FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the rotor plate of FIG. 11 from another view; and 
     FIG. 14 is a schematic view showing a push-button switch. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A preferred embodiment according to the present invention will now be discussed with reference to FIGS. 1 to  14 . A shift apparatus  11  is located on an instrument panel  13  in front and toward the left of a driver&#39;s seat  12 , as viewed in FIG. 1. A brake pedal  14  is located in front of the driver&#39;s seat  12  at a low position. 
     With reference to FIG. 3, the left side of the drawing is referred to as the front side, the right side of the drawing is referred to as the rear side, the far side of the apparatus  11  in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing is referred to as the right side, and the near side of the apparatus  11  in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing is referred to as the left side. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a unit that includes a support base  15 , a fixed base  16 , a knob  17 , and push-button switches  18   a ,  18   b ,  18   c  forms the shift apparatus  11 . The knob  17  functions as an engine start actuator, and the push-button switches  18   a ,  18   b ,  18   c  function as shift selectors. 
     The support base  15  is cylindrical and has a front end closed by a plate. A flange  15   a , which extends radially outward from the rear end of the support base  15 , is fixed to a member (not shown) in the instrument panel  13 . A controller  19 , which is a shift ECU, is fixed to the rear side of the end plate in the support base  15 . A solenoid  20 , which is electrically connected to the controller  19 , is fixed to the rear side of the end plate in the support base  15  below the controller  19 . The solenoid  20  has a plunger  20   a , which extends through a hole  15   b  formed in the end plate of the support base  15 . 
     The plunger  20   a  moves between a lock position and an unlock position. The plunger  20   a  is extended from the solenoid  20  at the lock position and retracted in the solenoid  20  in the unlock position. Further, the plunger  20   a  is received in an elongated hole  28   f  or an elongated hole  28   g , which will be described later, when located at the lock position. Contact between the distal end of the plunger  20   a  and the ends of the elongated hole  28   f  or the elongated hole  28   g  restricts the rotational range of a rotor plate  28 , which will be described later. The plunger  20   a  is moved out of the elongated holes  28   f ,  28   g  when located at the unlock position. Accordingly, the plunger  20   a  serves as a first enabling device. 
     A flange  20   b  is provided at the front portion of the plunger  20   a . A spring  44  is arranged on the plunger  19   a  between the flange  20   b  and the end plate of the support base  15  to urge the plunger  20   a  toward the lock position. Thus, the plunger  20   a  is normally located at the lock position. 
     The fixed base  16  is secured to the end plate of the support base  15 . The fixed base  16  is cylindrical and has a front end closed by a plate. A flange  16   a , which extends radially outward from the rear end of the fixed base  16 , is fixed to the peripheral portion of the end plate of the support base  15 . A cylindrical knob holder  16   b  projects rearward from a lower portion of the end plate of the fixed base  16 . 
     A square first opening  21   a  is formed in the fixed base  16  above the axis  0  of the knob holder  16   b , as viewed in FIG. 2. A second opening  21   b  and a third opening  21   c , which are identical to the first opening  21   a , are formed in the end plate of the fixed base  16 . The second and third openings  21   b ,  21   c  are located slightly below each side of the first opening  21   a . The openings  21   a - 21   c  are arranged along an imaginary circle, the center of which is the axis  0 . A fourth opening  21   d  is formed near the right side of the third opening  21   c . The width of the fourth opening  21   d  is about one half the width of the third opening  21   c.    
     Referring to FIG. 3, a cylindrical fixed shaft  22 , which is concentric with the knob holder  16   b , is fixed to the front side of the end plate of the support base  15 . A fixed base  24  is also fixed to the front side of the support base  15 . The fixed base  24  has a hole  24   a , the center of which is the axis  0 . The fixed shaft  22  projects forward from the hole  24   a.    
     As shown in FIG. 3, a circuit board  25  is fixed to the end surface in the fixed base  24 . With reference to FIG. 4, first, second, and third fixed electrodes  25   a ,  25   b ,  25   c  are arranged on the circuit board  25  along an imaginary circle, the center of which is the axis  0 . The first fixed electrode  25   a  is arranged below the axis  0 . The second and third electrodes  25   b ,  25   c  are sequentially arranged in the clockwise direction relative to the first fixed electrode  25   a.    
     The space between the first fixed electrode  25   a  and the second fixed electrode  25   b  is greater than the space between the second fixed electrode  25   b  and the third fixed electrode  25   c . The third fixed electrode  25   b  extends along the imaginary circle, the center of which is axis  0 , and is longer than the second fixed electrode  25   b . The first fixed electrode  25   a  functions as a dummy electrode and is not connected to electric wires. The second fixed electrode  25   b  functions as a fixed electrode for accessories, such as a car stereo or a navigation system. The third fixed electrode  25   c  functions as a fixed electrode for starting and driving the engine. The second and third fixed electrodes  25   b ,  25   c  are connected to the controller  19 . 
     With reference to FIG. 3, a disk-like rotor body  26 , which is made of an insulative material, is arranged in front of the fixed base  24 . A hole  26   a  extends through the center of the rotor body  26 . The fixed shaft  22  extends through the hole  26   a . The rotor body  26  rotates relative to the fixed shaft  22  along the end surface of the fixed base  24 . A connecting projection  26   b  projects forward from the rotor body  26  from a location above the axis  0 . 
     A movable electrode (contact)  27 , which is made of a conductive metal, is fixed to rotor body  26  below the axis  0 . The movable electrode  27  is connected to the controller  19  by a lead wire (not shown). The movable electrode  27  is elastic and constantly urged toward the front surface of the circuit board  25 . Thus, as the rotor body  26  rotates, the movable electrode  27  selectively contacts the fixed electrodes  25   a - 25   c . The movable electrode  27  and the second fixed electrode  25   b  form an accessory switch. The movable electrode  27  and the third fixed electrode  25   c  form an ignition switch  42 , which serves as a first detecting device (FIG.  7 ). 
     The rotor plate  28  is arranged in front of the rotor body  26 . A hole  28   a  extends through the center of the rotor plate  28 . The fixed shaft  22  extends through the hole  28   a . The rotor plate  28  is rotated relative to the fixed shaft  22 . Further, the upper and lower ends of the rotor plate  28  are arcuate and extend about the axis  0 , as viewed in FIG.  8 . The left and right sides are linear and extend vertically, as viewed in FIG.  8 . 
     An arcuate slit  28   e , the center of which is the axis  0 , extends from the upper left side of the rotor plate  28 . The slit  28   e  defines a cantilever-like interference piece  28   b  at the upper end of the rotor plate  28 . The distal end of the interference piece  28   b  is slightly extended from the left end of the rotor plate  28 . The front surface of the rotor plate  28  is generally flat. Referring to FIG. 12, the distal portion of the interference piece  28   b  is bent rearward to define a guiding portion  28   c . The distal end of the guiding portion  28   c  is bent forward to define an engaging portion  28   d . The interference piece  28   b , the guiding portion  28   c , and the engaging portion  28   d  form a stopper  46 , which is shown enclosed by the broken lines in FIGS. 8 to  11 . The rotor plate  28  serves as a second enabling device. 
     As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the first elongated hole  28   f  is arcuate, the center of which is the axis  0 , and formed in the rotor plate  28  at a location corresponding to the plunger  20   a . The first elongated hole  28   f  extends counterclockwise from a point directly below the axis  0 , as viewed in FIG. 8. A second elongated hole  28   g  is formed along a line extended in the counterclockwise direction from the first elongated hole  28   f , or along the imaginary circle along which the first elongated hole  28   f  lies. The second elongated hole  28   g  is shorter than the first elongated hole  28   f.    
     The connecting projection  26   b  of the rotor body  26  is received in a connecting hole  29  formed in the rotor plate  28 . This connects and integrally rotates the rotor plate  28  and the rotor body  26 . A pair of connecting holes  30 ,  31  are further formed in the rotor plate  28  on opposite sides of the axis  0 . 
     As shown in FIG. 3, an antenna coil  32  is wound about the fixed shaft in front of the rotor plate  28 . The antenna coil  32  is connected to the controller  19  via a head amplifier  41  (FIG.  7 ). The knob  17  is located in front of the antenna coil  32  and rotatably connected to the front end of the fixed shaft  22 . A rotor shaft  23  projects from the rear central portion of the knob  17 . The rotor shaft  23  is fit into the fixed shaft  22  to support the knob  17  relatively rotatable to the fixed shaft  22 . 
     A grip  17   a , which is used to rotate the knob  17 , projects from the front side of the knob  17 . A pointer  17   b  is provided above the grip  17   a  to indicate the operational position of the knob  17  (FIG.  2 ). Connecting projections  17   c ,  17   d , which project from the rear side of the knob  17 , are respectively fit into the connecting holes  30 ,  31  to rotate the knob  17  integrally with the rotor plate  28 . Accordingly, the knob  17 , the rotor shaft  23 , the rotor plate  28 , and the rotor body  26  are rotated integrally when the grip  17   a  is rotated. The rotation of the knob  17  connects the movable electrode (contact)  27  with the fixed electrode (contact)  25   c.    
     With reference to FIG. 5, a circuit board  33 , which has a cup-like cross-section, is fixed to the uppermost portion of the knob holder  16   b . A first electrode  33   a , a second electrode  33   b , and a third electrode  33   c  are fixed to the upper surface of the circuit board  33 . Each of the fixed electrodes  33   a - 33   c  are formed by a pair of electrode pieces and connected to the controller  19  by a lead wire (not shown). 
     With reference to FIGS. 3 and 12, a retainer  45  is provided for each of the openings  21   a - 21   c . The retainers  45  extend rearward from the end plate of the fixed base  16 . The retainers  45  retain the push-button switches  18   a - 18   c . The front part of each push-button switch  18   a - 18   c  has a stepped portion. The stepped portion contacts the rear surface of the end plate of the fixed base  16 . The front ends of the push-button switches  18   a - 18   c  are located in front of the openings  21   a - 21   c . The push-button switches  18   a - 18   c  each have a rear end, which is opened and hollow. A compression spring  34  is arranged between the hollow end of each push-button switch  18   a - 18   c  and the front end of the support base  15 . The springs  34  urge the push-button switches  18   a - 18   c  forward. 
     Movable electrodes  35   a ,  35   b ,  35   c  are respectively fixed to the lower surfaces of the push-button switches  18   a ,  18   b ,  18   c . The movable electrodes  35   a - 35   c  extend downward from the associated push-button switches  18   a - 18   c  and are elastic. This constantly urges the movable electrodes  35   a - 35   c  toward the circuit board  33 . When the push-button switches  18   a - 18   c  are pushed, the movable electrodes  35   a - 35   c  contact the associated fixed electrodes  33   a - 33   c . The movable electrodes  35   a - 35   c  and the fixed electrodes  33   a - 33   c  function as a second detecting device for detecting the position of the associated push-button switches  18   a ,  18   b ,  18   c.    
     Referring to FIG. 12, a release button  36  is received in the fourth opening  21   d . A flange  36   a  is provided on the front end of the release button  36 . The portion of the release button  36  in front of the flange  36   a  projects from the opening  21   d . A user pushes the projecting portion. 
     An elbow-like support  16   c  extends from the fixed base  16 . The support  16   c  has a hole  16   d  to receive the rear portion of the release button  36 . A compression spring  37  is wound about the release button  36  between the flange  36   a  and the support  16   c . The movement of the release button  36  produced by the spring  37  is restricted by the flange  36   a . The rear end surface of the release button  36  is inclined in correspondence with the guiding portion  28   c  of the rotor plate  28  and functions as a pushing portion  36   b.    
     As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a support piece  39  extends from the side wall in the fixed base  16 . The basal end of a return spring  38  is attached to the support piece  39 . The distal end of the return spring  38  is located along a rotating path of the rotor plate  28 . Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the rotor plate  28  does not contact the return spring  38  as long as the elongated hole  28   f  opposes the plunger  20   a . As shown in FIG. 10, the rotor plate  28  contacts the return spring  38  when the elongated hole  28   g  opposes the plunger  20   a . When the rotor plate  28  is further rotated from the position of FIG. 10 to the position of FIG.  11  and the plunger  20   a  relatively moves to the end of the second elongated hole  28   g , the return spring  38  urges the rotor plate  28  in the counterclockwise direction. 
     With reference to FIG. 2, the characters OFF, ACC, and ON are marked on the front surface of the fixed base  16 . The OFF mark indicates an engine off position, the ACC mark indicates an accessory position, and the ON mark indicates an engine ON position. The rotor plate  28  is rotated between the positions shown in FIGS. 8 and 11. 
     When the pointer  17   b  of the knob  17  is pointed to the OFF mark, the rotor plate  28  is located at an initial position, the state of which is shown in FIG.  8 . In this state, the movable electrode  27  contacts the first fixed electrode  25   a  of the circuit board  25 . Further, the push-button switches  18   a - 18   c  and the release button  36  oppose the stopper  46  and thus cannot be pushed. Additionally, the plunger  20   a  engages one end of the first elongated hole  28   f.    
     When the pointer  17   b  of the knob  17  is pointed to the ACC mark, the rotor plate  28  is located at a first unlock position, the state of which is shown in FIG.  9 . In this state, the movable electrode  27  is connected to the second fixed electrode  25   b  of the circuit board  25 . Further, the first and second push-button switches  18   a ,  18   b  do not oppose the stopper  46  and thus can be pushed. However, the third push-button switch  18   c  and the release button  36  oppose the stopper  46  and thus cannot be pushed. The plunger  20   a  engages the other end of the first elongated hole  28   f.    
     When the pointer  17   b  of the knob  17  is pointed to the ON mark, the rotor plate  28  is located at an engine start position, the state of which is shown in FIG.  10 . In this state, the movable electrode  27  is connected to the third fixed electrode  25   c  of the circuit board  25 . Further, the first and second push-button switches  18   a ,  18   b  do not oppose the stopper  46  and thus can be pushed. However, the third push-button switch  18   c  opposes the stopper  46  and thus cannot be pushed. The plunger  20   a  engages one end of the second elongated hole  28   g.    
     The state of FIG. 11 shows the rotor plate  28  located at a second unlock position. In this state, the movable electrode  27  is connected to the third fixed electrode  25   c . Further, the push-button switches  18   a - 18   c  do not oppose the stopper  46  and thus can be pushed. The plunger  20   a  engages the other end of the second elongated hole  28   g.    
     The electric structure of the shift apparatus  11  and peripheral devices will now be discussed. 
     FIG. 6 shows a card key  40 , which is provided separately from the shift apparatus  11 . A transponder  40   a , which stores an immobilizer identification code, is embedded in the card key  40 . When the card key  40  is held near the antenna coil  32 , the transponder  40   a  transmits the immobilizer identification code to the controller  19  via the antenna coil  32 . A brake switch  14   a  (FIG.  7 ), which sends a brake detection signal to the controller  19  when the brake pedal  14  is depressed, is arranged in the vicinity of the brake pedal  14 . The controller  19  of the shift apparatus  11  is electrically connected to an engine EG by an engine ECU  50 . 
     A head amplifier  41  connects the controller  19  and the antenna coil  32  to each other. The head amplifier  41  amplifies a determination request signal, which is output from the controller  19  and sent to the antenna coil  32 . 
     The controller  19  controls an actuator  51 , which is a motor or the like, to switch a manual shift valve (not shown) functioning to shift gear ranges. The manual shift valve is a spool type valve like the conventional manual shift valve used in automatic transmissions to manually shift ranges. The spool type valve is supplied with oil to transmit hydraulic pressure to the clutch in correspondence with the driving range determined by the gearshift position. 
     The operation of the shift apparatus  11  of the preferred embodiment will now be discussed. 
     In an initial state of the shift apparatus  11 , or when the engine EG is stopped, the pointer  17   b  of the knob  17  is pointed toward the OFF mark. The rotation of the knob  17  is restricted in this state. Further, the movable electrode  27  is connected to the first fixed electrode  25   a . The first, second, and third push-button switches  18   a - 18   c  oppose the stopper  46  and the push-button switches  18   a - 18   c  thus cannot be pushed. The plunger  20   a  is located at the lock position. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the rotation of the knob  17  is restricted when the pointer  17   b  is pointed to a position between the OFF and ACC marks. 
     When the knob  17  is rotated to point the pointer  17   b  to the ACC mark, the movable electrode  27  is connected to the fixed electrode  25   b . Thus, the controller  19  receives an accessory ON signal. The controller  19  performs the processes required to activate the accessories based on the accessory ON signal. Further, when the pointer  17   b  is pointed toward the ACC mark, the rotor plate  28  is moved from the lock position to the first unlock position, as shown in the state of FIG.  9 . In this state, the stopper  46  is moved away from the first and second push-button switches  18   a ,  18   b . Thus, the pushing of the push-button switches  18   a ,  18   b  is enabled. 
     When the first push-button switch  18   a  is pushed as shown in FIG. 14, the first movable electrode  35   a  is connected to the first fixed electrode  33   a  and the controller  19  receives a neutral position signal. The controller  19  controls the actuator  51  in correspondence with the neutral position based on the neutral position signal. When the second push-button switch  18   b  is pushed, the second movable electrode  35   b  is connected to the second fixed electrode  33   b  and the controller  19  receives a drive position signal. The controller  19  controls the actuator  51  in correspondence with the drive position based on the drive position signal. 
     When a power switch S, which is located on the instrument panel  13 , is pushed, the controller  19  sends a determination request signal to the head amplifier  41 . The head amplifier  41  amplifies the determination request signal and sends the amplified signal to the antenna coil  32 . If the card key  40  is held near the shift apparatus  11  in this state, the antenna coil  32  transmits the determination request signal to the transponder  40   a . When the transponder  40   a  receives the determination request signal, the transponder  40   a  transmits the immobilizer identification code to the head amplifier  41  via the antenna coil  32 . The head amplifier  41  then sends the immobilizer identification code to the controller  19 . 
     The controller  19  compares the immobilizer identification code with a prestored vehicle identification code. When the codes match, the controller  19  verifies the card key  40  and determines that the card key  40  is held by an authorized user. The controller  19 , the antenna coil  32 , and the head amplifier  41  form a confirmation device. In such case, the controller  19  stores key recognition information. When the brake pedal  14  is depressed in this state, the brake switch  14   a  sends a brake detection signal to the controller  19 . The controller  19  sends an excitation signal to the solenoid  20  if the controller  19  stores the key recognition information and receives the brake detection signal. More specifically, when the engine EG is not running, the controller  19  unlocks the solenoid  20  when two conditions are both satisfied. The first condition is that the controller  19  receives the key recognition information, which indicates that the proper user is holding the card key  40 , and the second condition is that the controller  19  receives the brake detection signal. Based on the excitation signal, the solenoid  20  moves the plunger  20   a  from the lock position to the unlock position. This results in the knob  17  entering a rotation enablement state (unlocked state) from the rotation restriction state (locked state). 
     When the knob  17  is in the rotation enablement state and the knob  17  is rotated so that the pointer  17   b  points the ON mark, the movable electrode  27  is connected to the third fixed electrode  25   c . As a result, the controller  19  receives an engine start signal from the third fixed electrode  25   c . Based on the engine start signal, the controller  19  sends an engine drive permission signal to the engine ECU  50 . The engine ECU  50  starts the engine EG based on the engine drive permission signal. 
     When the brake pedal  14  is released after the engine ECU  50  starts the engine EG, the controller  19  de-excites the solenoid  20  based on a brake release signal sent from the brake switch  14   a . Thus, the force of the spring  44  moves the plunger  20   a  of the solenoid  20  to the lock position. 
     When the pointer  17   b  of the knob  17  is pointed toward the ON mark, the stopper  46  opposes the push-button switch  18   c . Thus, the stopper  46  continues to disable the pushing of the push-button switch  18   c . If the push-button switch  18   c  is pushed, the push-button switch  18   c  abuts the engaging portion  28   d  of the rotor plate  28 , as shown in FIG.  12 . Thus, the push-button switch  18   c  cannot be pushed. 
     To push the push-button switch  18   c , when the rotor plate  28  is in the state of FIG. 10, the release button  36  is pushed (FIG.  12 ). The pushing portion  36   b  of the release button  36  pushes the guiding portion  28   c  of the rotor plate  28 . This rotates the rotor plate  28  about the axis  0  in the clockwise direction against the force of the return spring  38 . 
     As a result, the rotor plate  28  is rotated to the second unlock position, which is shown in the state of FIGS. 11 and 13, and the stopper  46  is moved away from the push-button switch  18   c . Thus, the pushing of the push-button switch  18   c  is enabled. When the third push-button switch  18   c  is pushed in this state, the third movable electrode  35   c  is connected to the fixed electrode  33   c . Thus, the controller  19  receives a rear drive position signal and drives the actuator  71  based on the reverse drive position signal. 
     When the brake pedal  14  is released after the engine EG is started, the controller  19  controls the solenoid  20  based on a brake release signal sent from the brake switch  14   a  and moves the plunger  20   a  toward the unlock position. Accordingly, to move the plunger  20   a  to the unlock position when the engine EG is running, the card key  40  need not be verified again and the brake pedal  14  need only be depressed. 
     To stop the engine EG, the brake pedal  14  is depressed and the plunger  20   a  is moved to the unlock position. The knob  17  is then rotated to point the pointer  17   b  toward the OFF mark. When the movable electrode  27  is disconnected from the third fixed electrode  25   c , the controller  19  receives an OFF signal. Based on the OFF signal, the controller  19  sends an engine stop signal to the engine ECU  50 . The engine ECU  50  stops the engine EG based on the engine stop signal. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the push-button switches  18   a - 18   c  are located near the knob  17 . Thus, in comparison to when the push-button switches  18   a - 18   c  and the knob  17  are separated from each other in different units, the shift apparatus  11  has fewer components, uses space more efficiently, and is more compact. 
     In the preferred embodiment, when the engine EG is stopped, a detector formed by the controller  19  and the antenna coil  32  verifies the card key  40  with the transponder  40   a  and determines that the card key  40  is held by the proper user. If the brake pedal  14  is depressed in this state, the controller  19  moves the plunger  20   a  from the lock position to the unlock position. This enables the rotation of the knob  17 . When the rotation of the knob  17  is enabled, the rotation of the knob  17  to point the pointer  17   b  toward the ON mark and the pushing of the push-button switch  18  are enabled. 
     When the engine EG is stopped, the knob  17  remains in a rotation restriction state unless the controller  19  verifies the card key  40  and determines that the card key  40  is held by the proper user. In this state, not all of the push-button switches  18   a - 18   c  can be pushed. This prevents the vehicle from being stolen. Further, the plunger  20   a  of the solenoid  20  does not allow the knob  17  to start the engine EG unless the controller  19  verifies the card key  40  and determines that the card key  40  is held by the proper user. This also prevents the vehicle from being stolen. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the same solenoid  20  is used to enable and disable the pushing of the third push-button switch  18   c  and the rotation of the knob  17 . This decreases costs in comparison to when solenoids are provided separately for the knob  17  and the push-button switch  18   c.    
     In the preferred embodiment, the pushing of the push-button switches  18   a - 18   c  is enabled and disabled in accordance with the rotated position of the rotor plate  28 . Accordingly, the push-button switches  18   a - 18   c  are locked and unlocked with a simple structure. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the push-button switch  18   c  cannot be pushed unless the release button  36  is pushed. Accordingly, the push-button switch  18   c  is prevented from being erroneously pushed when the vehicle is being driven forward. 
     It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in many other specific forms without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the present examples and embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope and equivalence of the appended claims.