Patent Publication Number: US-2010127846-A1

Title: Shift lever position alarm

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is related to an alarm, and in particular to an alarm that alerts an occupant of a motor vehicle when a shift lever is moved from a Drive position to a lower gear position and/or a sequential gear position. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many motor vehicles use an automatic transmission with a plurality of transmission ranges that afford for the forward and rearward movement of the vehicle. The transmission ranges are typically a P-range (parking range), an R-range (reverse range), a N-range (neutral range) and one or more forward movement ranges. For example, the forward movement ranges can include a D-range (drive range), 4 th -gear range, 3 rd -gear range, 2 nd -gear range, 1 st -gear range, S-range (slow range) and the like. In addition, a sequential range can be provided by the automatic transmission, the sequential range consisting of a range where the gear of the transmission is selected in order and direct access to a specific gear is not possible. Stated differently, a shift lever is placed into the sequential gear range and higher or lower gears are selected by moving the shift lever in a positive or negative direction, respectively. 
     It is not unusual, for a gear selector plate to be present that visibly and/or physically aids a driver of the motor vehicle in placing the shift lever in a desired transmission range. However, the shift lever can be undesirably moved to a different transmission range than normally used for driving the motor vehicle. For example, the shift lever can be accidentally nudged from the D-range to a lower forward moving range and/or a sequential range. When such an event occurs, a driver of the motor vehicle may or may not notice that the shift lever has been moved. If the driver does not notice that the shift lever has been moved from the D-range to a lower forward moving range and/or the sequential range, the motor vehicle can be operated in a fuel inefficient manner. In addition, the driver may assume that the vehicle is not operating properly, thereby causing stress and/or inconvenience. As such, a device that would alert the driver of the movement of the shift lever from the D-range to a lower forward moving gear range and/or a sequential gear range would be desirable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A gear range selector for a motor vehicle having an automatic transmission with more than one forward moving gear range is provided. The gear range selector provides a driver and/or an occupant of the motor vehicle with an alert signal that a shift lever has been moved from a Drive gear range position to another forward movement gear range position. 
     The gear range selector can include a gear selector plate that has a Drive gear range position and at least one other forward movement gear range position. In addition, the gear range selector includes a shift lever that is proximate to the gear selector plate, the shift lever being operable to be placed into the Drive gear range position or one of the other forward movement gear range positions. An alarm is also included, the alarm being operable to alert the driver and/or occupant of the motor vehicle when the shift lever is placed into one of the other forward movement gear range positions. In some instances, a sensor is provided that detects when the shift lever is placed into one of the other forward movement gear range positions. As such, the alarm is energized when the sensor detects that the shift lever has been placed into one of the other forward movement gear range positions. The alarm can be an audible alarm and/or a visual alarm. 
     In some instances, an electronic control unit can be included and have logic incorporated therein such that a sequence of events is required before the alarm is energized. For example, if the shift lever is moved from the Park range position, Neutral range or position Reverse range position to one of the other forward movement gear range positions, then the alarm is not energized. In contrast, when the motor vehicle is moving and the shift lever has been moved from the Drive gear range position to one of the other forward movement gear range positions, the alarm is energized. 
     The at least one other forward movement gear range positions can include a 5 th -gear range, 4 th -gear range, 3 rd -gear range, 2 nd -gear range, 1 st -gear range, Slow range, Low range, Sequential range, Sequential Down range, Sequential Up range and combinations thereof. The alarm can also be energized for a predetermined amount of time, a predetermined amount of time and again at regular time intervals, until the shift lever has been placed into the Drive gear range position and/or until a manual override of the alarm has been activated. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a gear range selector according to an embodiment of the present invention wherein a shift lever is located in a Drive gear range position; 
         FIG. 2  is the embodiment of  FIG. 1  illustrating the shift lever being moved from the Drive gear range position to a lower gear range position; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of another embodiment of the present invention wherein the shift lever is in the Drive gear range position; 
         FIG. 4  is the embodiment of  FIG. 3  illustrating the shift lever being moved from the Drive gear range position to a Sequential gear range position; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic diagram for an illustrative logic that can be included within an electronic control unit of an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a gear range selector that alerts a motor vehicle driver and/or occupant a shift lever has been moved from a Drive gear range position to a different forward moving gear range position. As such, the gear range selector has utility as a component for a motor vehicle. 
     The gear range selector provides an alarm that alerts the driver and/or occupant when the shift lever of a transmission system for the motor vehicle is moved from the Drive gear range position (hereafter also referred to as ‘Drive’ or ‘D’) to at least one other forward movement gear range position (hereafter also referred to as ‘Drive-i’ or ‘D-i’). The alarm can be an audible alarm and/or a visual alarm. The gear range selector can include a gear selector plate that has a plurality of gear range positions, illustratively including positions for Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive and one or more Drive-i positions. It is appreciated that the one or more Drive-i positions can include a 5 th -gear range, 4 th -gear range, 3 rd -gear range, 2 nd -gear range, 1 st -gear range, Slow range, Low range, Sequential range, Sequential Down range, Sequential Up range, combinations thereof and the like. 
     A shift lever is proximate to the gear selector plate and optionally may extend at least partially through the gear selector plate, the shift lever being operable to be placed into Drive or one of the other Drive-i positions. When the shift lever is moved from Drive to one of the Drive-i positions, the alarm can be energized and thereby alert the driver and/or occupant that such an event has taken place. The alarm can be energized for a predefined time period, thereafter again at regular time intervals, until the shift lever is placed back in Drive and/or until a manual override of the alarm is activated. 
     A sensor can also be included, the sensor being operable to detect when the shift lever is placed into one of the Drive-i positions. In addition, an electronic control unit (ECU) can be included, the ECU being operable to accept signals from the sensor and/or the transmission of the motor vehicle and afford energizing of the alarm when a specified sequence of events occurs. For example, the ECU can determine if the shift lever is in one of the Drive-i positions and whether or not a manual override of the alarm and/or the sensor has been activated. If the shift lever is not in one of the Drive-i positions, or the manual override has been activated, the alarm is not energized. In the alternative, if the shift lever is in one of the Drive-i positions, and the manual override has not been activated, the ECU can afford for the alarm to be energized. In addition, the ECU can afford for the alarm to be energized for a predefined time, for a predefined time period followed by re-energizing the alarm again at regular time intervals, until the shift lever is placed back into the Drive position and/or until the manual override of the sensor and/or alarm has been activated. 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an embodiment of the gear range selector is show generally at reference numeral  10 . The gear range selector  10  includes a gear selector plate  100 , a shift lever  150  and an alarm  175 . The gear selector plate  100  can have a plurality of gear range positions, illustratively including Park (P), Reverse (R), Neutral (N), Drive (D), 2 nd  (2) and Low (L). As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the gear selector plate  100  has a D position  110  representing the Drive gear range position, a 2 position  120  representing a 2 nd -gear range position and an L position  130  representing a 1 st -gear range position. As illustratively shown in  FIG. 2 , when the shift lever  150  is moved in a first direction  1  from the D position  110  to the 2 position  120 , the alarm  175  is energized as represented by the signal  176 . It is appreciated that the signal  176  can be in the form of a visual signal and/or an audible signal. It is also appreciated that the gear selector plate  100  and the plurality of gear range positions are for illustrative purposes only and that the exact shape and/or gear range positions can be different and still be within the scope of the invention so long as the gear range selector  10  affords for the energizing of the alarm  175  when the shift lever  150  is moved from Drive to a Drive-i position. 
     It is still further appreciated that a manual override can be included with the gear range selector  10 , the manual override affording the driver of the motor vehicle to de-activate and/or de-energize the alarm  175  when desired. For illustrative purposes only, a manual override switch  140  is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , however any type of manual override is within the scope of the present embodiment, for example a voice-activated manual override. 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , another embodiment of a gear range selector is shown generally at reference numeral  20 . The gear range selector  20  has a gear selector plate  200  with a Drive position  210  and a Sequential position  220 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , a shift lever  250  can be moved from the Drive position  210  to one or more Sequential positions  220 . The ‘+’ position  230  and the ‘−’ position  240  illustrate Sequential gear positions that afford the driver to select a gear range that is above/up or below/down a current gear range. When the shift lever  250  is moved from the Drive position  210  to one of the Sequential positions  220 , an alarm  275  is energized and provides a signal  276 . It is appreciated that a gear selector plate  200  can include a combination of Drive-i gear range positions and Sequential gear range positions. In such an event, an alarm could be energized when a shift lever is moved from Drive to Drive-i and/or Sequential. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 5 , a schematic representation of a shift lever (SL) position  300 , a SL position sensor  310  and an alarm  320  is shown. The SL position sensor  310  is operable to determine the position of the SL and if the SL is in a Drive-i position afford for energizing of the alarm  320 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 6 , an ECU  315  is added to the schematic representation shown in  FIG. 5 , the ECU  315  accepting a signal from the SL position sensor  310  and affording for the energizing of the alarm  320 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 7 , the ECU  315  can accept a signal from the SL position sensor  310  and a signal from a transmission sensor  312  that detects movement of an automatic transmission  302 . It is appreciated that the transmission sensor  312  can detect from the automatic transmission  302  when the motor vehicle is moving in a forward direction. It is appreciated that other forward movement sensors known to those skilled in the art can be used within the scope of the present invention. When SL position sensor  310  and the transmission sensor  312  provide a signal to the ECU  315 , the ECU  315  can afford for the energizing of the alarm  320  if a sequence of events has occurred. For example,  FIG. 8  illustrates a logic diagram wherein the ECU  315  determines whether or not the SL is in a Drive-i position at step  400 . If the SL is not in a Drive-i position, then the ECU  315  waits for a Drive-i signal from the SL position sensor at  402 . In the alternative, if the ECU determines that the SL is in a Drive-i position, the ECU  315  determines whether or not a manual override of the SL position sensor  310  and/or the alarm  320  has been activated at step  410 . If the manual override has been activated, then the ECU stops at  412  with respect to energizing the alarm  320  and/or waiting for a Drive-i signal from the SL position sensor  310 . In the alternative, if the manual override has not been activated, the ECU  315  affords for the energizing of the alarm  320  at step  420 . Reference numerals  422 - 428  illustrate that the ECU can afford for the energizing of the alarm  320  via different parameters. For example and for illustrative purposes only, the ECU  315  can energize the alarm  320  for a predefined time period  422  or for a predefined time period followed by re-energizing of the alarm at regular time intervals  424  until the SL is placed back into the Drive gear range position. In addition, the ECU  315  can afford for the energizing of the alarm  320  continuously until the SL is placed back into the Drive position  426  and/or until the manual override has been activated  428 . 
     Thus, a number of possibilities and variations of the energizing of an alarm to alert a driver and/or occupant of a motor vehicle that a shift lever has been moved from a Drive position to a Drive-i position is provided. Such a gear range selector provides for an economical, simple and effective method for alerting a driver and/or an occupant of a motor vehicle that the shift lever has been moved or nudged from a desirable gear range position. 
     The invention is not restricted to the illustrative examples in the embodiments described above. The examples and embodiments are not intended as limitations on the scope of the invention. Methods, apparatus and the like described herein are exemplary and not intended as limitations on the scope of the invention. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art. The scope of the invention is described by the scope of the claims.