Abstract: An automatic transmission lever position indicating device comprising a housing including a face wall structure presenting within an opaque background a sequence of translucent characters corresponding in sequence with the positions of the lever. A circuit board is mounted within the housing including leads for receiving and transmitting signals including the input signals of the automatic transmission. An illuminating assembly is carried by the circuit board for illuminating all of the sequence of translucent characters and additionally indicating by illumination one of the sequence of translucent characters corresponding to the position the lever is in.

Abstract: A yellow warning light indicator that is located at the rear of a lead vehicle to be visible by a tailing vehicle and wherein the yellow warning light is lit when the driver of the lead vehicle releases his foot from the accelerator pedal so as to warn the driver of the trailing vehicle that the lead vehicle is slowing down.

Abstract: The disclosure involves an apparatus for detecting coincidence of (a) a vehicle transmission engaged in the power mode and (b) the operator's seat in a "first" position, i.e., a position other than that from which the vehicle is normally driven. Such apparatus has an annunciator, a first circuit providing a first conductive path when the seat is in the first position and a second circuit providing a second conductive path when the transmission is engaged in the power mode, forward or reverse. When, coincidently, the seat is in such position and the transmission is in the power mode, the first and second circuits coact to energize the annunciator and alert the vehicle operator.

Abstract: A sensing system is provided for sensing the position of a manual gear select lever in an automatic transmission. The sensing system includes a plate member movable in response to movement of a shift lever and has a contact surface having a predetermined pattern of electrically conductive and non-conductive areas. An electrical sensing unit is mounted in the transmission so as to communicate with the contact surface of the plate member. A plurality of electrical contacts extend from the sensing unit to contact the conductive and non-conductive areas on the contact surface and generate binary codes in accordance with the position of the shift lever. Combinations of binary codes are provided for the operating modes and require at least two bit changes therebetween. In addition, transition codes are provided between each of the operating modes. The binary codes are provided to a transmission controller which determines the predetermined operating mode and transition modes therebetween.

Abstract: A method of determining the driver selected operating mode of an automatic transmission system wherein a controller is programmed to determine the driver selected operating mode of the transmission with a binary code transmitted from sensors sensing the position of a manually actuated shift lever.

Abstract: An externally visible indication of incipient automotive vehicle motion is displayed based on information from the vehicle operator, the engine and the transmission, as interpreted by the vehicle controller, wherein acceleration information is selectively provided during throttle tip-in while the transmission is in a low gear, and wherein brake information is provided when the brake pedal is depressed. Unique external displays of the incipient motion, sensitive to ambient light levels, are provided in forward areas of the vehicle.

Abstract: An automatic transmission lever position indicating device comprising a housing including a face wall structure presenting within an opaque background a sequence of translucent characters corresponding in sequence with the positions of the lever. A circuit board is mounted within the housing including leads for receiving and transmitting signals including the input signals of the automatic transmission. An illuminating assembly is carried by the circuit board for illuminating all of the sequence of translucent characters and additionally indicating by illumination one of the sequence of translucent characters corresponding to the position the lever is in.

Abstract: An electrical transmission control employs in one embodiment, a rotary dial switch as a gear selector control which includes a plug means for connecting the switch directly into a receiving socket mounted to the vehicle. In a preferred embodiment, the vehicle includes a plurality of sockets such that the gear selector control can be mounted at a preferred one of the locations. In another embodiment, the selector switch is a slide type switch. The switch can be removed from the socket and/or vehicle for providing anti-theft security preventing the transmission from being shifted without the gear selected control.

Abstract: A power unit assembly comprising an internal-combustion engine, a mechanical, unsynchronized gearbox, a clutch interposed between the engine and the gearbox, an inertia brake in which the gearbox, the relevant synchronization by means of the engine or the inertia brake and the control of the injection pump for the engine are controlled by an electronic processor adapted to inhibit the engagement of gear ratios to which an engine speed corresponds which does not fall within a programmed range of normal values; the processor is adapted to detect emergency operating conditions and, in such a case, to allow the engagement of a gear ratio which results in an engine speed value above said programmed range of values; to ensure synchronization even under such conditions the injection pump is provided with adjustment means adapted to allow speeds to be attained which are close to the upper limit of mechanical integrity of the engine.

Abstract: A compound of the structure ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each, independently, hydrogen or ##STR2## with the proviso that R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are not both hydrogen; R.sup.3 is hydrogen, alkyl, aralkyl, --(CH.sub.2).sub.q CO.sub.2 R.sup.6,--(CH.sub.2).sub.r NR.sup.7 CO.sub.2 R.sup.8, carbamylalkyl, aminoalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, guanylalkyl, mercaptoalkyl, alkylthioalkyl, indolylmethyl, hydroxyphenyklmethyl, imidazoylmethyl or phenyl which is optionally mono-, di-, or tri-substituted with a sustituent selected from alkyl, alkoxy, hydroxy, cyano, halo, nitro, carbalkoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, or a carboxylic acid;R.sup.4 and R.sup.7 are each, independently, hydrogen, alkyl, or aralkyl;R.sup.5, R.sup.6, and R.sup.

Abstract: An apparatus employs a logic that with N signal lines, there are 2.sup.N different states since one signal line has two states, where N is an integer. The number of signal lines has been reduced by connecting the signal lines to different portions of a plurality of contacts. The contacts are arranged to cooperate with a common contact in a predetermined overlapping manner. The overlapping occurs over different positions of a plurality of range positions which this apparatus detects.

Abstract: The operation device of a transmission in accordance with the present invention has a lock mechanism which can lock a shift rod in either a high speed range or a low speed range in a transfer in response to a detection signal when a control lever is positioned at a parking range, and has also alarm means for raising an alarm in response to a detection signal when the transfer is at a neutral position. When a vehicle is parked with the control lever being in the parking range, a driver can recognize the state of the transfer by the alarm if the transfer is at the neutral position, and shifts the shift rod to the high or low speed range by operating the transfer lever. The lock mechanism operates in the high or low speed range and a full driving system is connected so that the vehicle can be kept stopped and self-run of the vehicle on a slope or the like can be prevented.

Abstract: A neutral sensing assembly for a multiple shift rail (60B, 62B, 64B) shift bar housing assembly (70) is provided. The neutral sensing assembly utilizes a single two-position sensing (112, 114) and a relatively simply shaped neutral sensing bar (104) extending generally transverse to the axes (80, 82, 84) of the shift rails and interacting with neutral sensing notches (60C, 62C, 64C) for displacing the neutral sensing bar (FIG. 4 and 6) sufficiently to actuate the sensing upon axial displacement of any of the shift rails sufficient to cause the transmission (10) to be engaged in a not neutral condition.

Abstract: The present invention is an electronic control apparatus for control of an automatic transmission in a motor vehicle which controlling a motor to shift the transmission to said desired transmission state when the desired transmission state differs from the present transmission state signal. The electronic control apparatus detects and stores any faults in controlling the motor, and generates an output indicating any stored fault codes in response to a particular operator input. In the preferred embodiment the operator input is via plural push-buttons with corresponding lamps. In normal operation a single lamp is turned ON to indicate the present gear. Fault codes are indicated by turning ON the lamps in a code corresponding to the fault code. Detected faults include invalid transmission state signal, time out without completing the shift and over current in the motor.

Abstract: An alarm system which signals to the driver a first alarm whenever he opens a vehicle door and the selector lever of an automatic transmission is not in its full park position. The system signals to the driver and also to persons external to the vehicle a second different alarm whenever, in addition, the driver leaves his seat and the selector lever is not in its full park position or the parking pawl fails to properly engage the parking gear even though the selector lever is in its proper park position. A manual switch may be operated to selectively disconnect the alarms, with an automatic operator being provided to close this switch should it accidently be left in its open condition.

Abstract: An electronic control system for a motor vehicle of the type including an automatic transmission, a steering system having a steering column, an ignition switch having an on position and a key-in/lock position, means operative in response to movement of the ignition switch to the key-in/lock position to lock the steering column, a starter circuit, a push button shift control assembly in the vehicle passenger compartment, and a closure system requiring one or more operator steps to enter the vehicle passenger compartment.

Abstract: An indicating system for an automatic motor vehicle transmission is described which includes second indicating elements in addition to first indicating elements for indicating a preselected driving step. The second indicating elements, particularly during a semi-automatic operating mode of the motor vehicle transmission with a manual preselection of the gear steps, displays an actually shifted gear step. The first and second indicating elements are advantageously arranged in two vertical parallel rows in an indicating instrument of the motor vehicle.

Abstract: A control system for a motor vehicle of the type including an automatic transmission having a plurality of shift positions and an ignition switch. The system includes a push-button module adapted to be positioned in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle proximate the vehicle operator and including a plurality of push buttons corresponding respectively to the transmission shift position. Electrical logic means are provided to move the transmission to the shift position corresponding to the shift position selected by depression of the specific push button and an enunciator lamp is associated with each push button.

Abstract: A selector position detector arrangement for an automotive automatic transmission includes a detector producing a level signal variable of the level depending upon the selector level position. The level signal is converted into digital signal having a value corresponding to the level of the level signal. The digital signal value is compared with present reference values corresponding to the transmission selector positions.

Abstract: An electronic range indicator apparatus in which a switch array powered by the vehicle ignition voltage is used to indicate the selected transmission range during both on and off periods of the vehicle. During on periods of the vehicle, the ignition voltage is transmitted through the closed contacts (if any) of the switch array, and a decoder/driver module decodes the output of the switch array and lights the indicator indicia corresponding to the selected range. During off periods of the vehicle, the ignition feed to the switch array is open circuited. In such case, the decoder/driver module effectively grounds the ignition feed of the switch array, and lights the appropriate indicator indicia using an inverse logic decode scheme.

Abstract: A transmission system (10) including a control display (2, 302) is provided. The control display comprised of three sections, a currently engaged gear ratio section (2'") a maximum permissible consecutive upshift indicating section (2') and a maximum permissible consecutive downshift indicating section (2"). The central processing unit (38) includes circuitry and logic rules to process input signals to determine the currently permissible gear ratios and will indicate said gear ratios, in the form of maximum permissible upshifts and downshifts, at said display. The central processing unit also includes circuitry and logic rules to sense the existence of a fault condition, to assign a predetermined code ("18") thereto and to issue command output signals to the display to cause the second and third sections to assume a fault condition indicating display and to cause said first section to display to assigned code.

Abstract: An electromechanical device for easily selecting and engaging different driving modes while an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle is in a forward driving position. Push buttons are positioned so as to be within easy reach of a driver's fingers while the driver is operating the motor vehicle. Each push button corresponds to a particular driving mode. By pressing a push button the gear needed to effectuate the selected mode of operation is activated. The push buttons are electrically connected to a digital control means which controls the implementation and cancellation of the gears used for realizing the selected driving mode.

Abstract: An electronic range indicator apparatus in which a switch array powered by the vehicle ignition voltage is used to indicate the selected transmission range during both on and off periods of the vehicle. During on periods of the vehicle, the ignition voltage is transmitted through the closed contacts (if any) of the switch array, and an electronic control module decodes the output of the switch array and lights the indicator indicia corresponding to the selected range. During off periods of the vehicle, the ignition feed to the switch array is open circuited. In such case, the control module intermittently reverses the potential across the switch array, and lights the appropriate indicator indicia using a reverse logic decode scheme.

Abstract: A method for indicating a shift operation for a manual transmission gear includes a step for comparing a detected vehicle speed with a reference speed which is determined and changed on the basis of a detected engine temperature and a step for indicating the shift operation on this basis of a result of the comparison. When a temperature parameter relating to the engine operation is lower than a predetermined reference temperature value, the reference vehicle speed is raised so that the indication of the shift operation will not be generated.

Abstract: A device for displaying the gear parameters of a bicycle comprises a sensor for detecting the position of the member (or members) for controlling the gear-change, and display means connected to the sensor means and able to supply a signal indicative of the ratio engaged. In a preferred embodiment, the number of teeth of the two gear-wheels (front and rear) on which the chain is engaged are displayed.