Automatic transmission control system utilizing paddle shifters

A paddle shifter system for an automotive vehicle for facilitating user selection of a gear of an automatic transmission of a vehicle, the vehicle including an operational system having one or both of an electronic control unit and an electronic control module, the system comprising:

• at least one wireless shifter assembly, the wireless shifter assembly including a housing having a set of alignment pins extending therefrom, the alignment pins being parallel to one another;
• a computing module to which the at least one wireless shifter assembly is wirelessly connected, the computing module being operatively associated with the vehicle's operational system, the computing module having logic to determine if a shift may be permitted;
• and
• a data link connecting the computing module to the vehicle's operational system;
• and
• a gear selection display operatively associated with and incorporated into the computing module.

A method for manually shifting an automatic transmission of an automotive vehicle by hand operation of the operator, the method including the steps of

• forming an assembly including at least one manual shifter wirelessly connected to a computing module, the at least one manual shifter assembly having a housing with a set of alignment pins extending therefrom, the alignment pins being parallel to one another, the computing module being operatively associated with one or both of the vehicle's electronic control unit and electronic control module and a display and incorporated into the computing module;
• manipulating the manual shifter to request either an upshift or a downshift by the operator;
• comparing a current vehicle gear to a gear requested by the operator, the comparison being undertaken by the computing module to determine if a shift is permitted by established logic;
• preliminarily checking to determine which gear to request from the electronic control unit or electronic control module, the checking being made by the computing module;
• inquiring whether or not the user is requesting a valid gear selection, the inquiry being made by the computing module, whereby if the inquiry results in a negative decision, then the display is updated to indicate that the requested gear selection cannot be made or if the inquiry results in an positive decision, then the computing module transmits the gear request to the electronic control unit or electronic control module which communicates the gear selection to the vehicle's transmission provided that the gear selection request falls within pre-established parameters for the vehicle;
• and
• inquiring whether or not the requested gear change has occurred, the inquiry being made by the computing module, whereby if the inquiry results in a negative decision, then the display is updated to indicate that no gear change has occurred, but if the inquiry results in a positive decision, then the display is updated to indicate that the gear change has been made.