Magnetic sensor device for the detection of the position of a motor vehicle part

A magnetic sensor device provided on a holder for the detection of longitudinal position of a selector level of an automatic gearbox of a motor vehicle, the device comprising:

• a magnetic trigger member longitudinally slidable along the holder and linked to a selector level of an automatic gearbox of a motor vehicle so that a longitudinal position of the magnetic trigger member corresponds to a longitudinal position of the selector level of the automatic gearbox;
• a plurality of parallel equal length magnetic tracks running longitudinally along the magnetic trigger member, each of the magnetic tracks having contiguous alternating magnetic N/S pole sections running longitudinally along the magnetic trigger member, each of the magnetic N/S pole sections having north and south poles, wherein the magnetic N/S pole sections in each track are arranged such that the north pole of each of the magnetic N/S pole sections is adjacent to the south pole of an adjacent magnetic N/S pole section, wherein the magnetic N/S pole sections of each magnetic track have the same length and the length of the magnetic N/S pole sections of each magnetic track is different than the lengths of the magnetic N/S pole sections of the other magnetic tracks to provide a binary coding scheme indicative of the longitudinal position of the magnetic trigger member and the selector level of the automatic gearbox;
• a plurality of magnetic field sensitive components each operatively associated with a respective one of the magnetic tracks to sense magnetic fields generated from the magnetic N/S pole sections as the magnetic trigger member slides along the holder, wherein the magnetic field sensitive components generate a signal based on the sensed magnetic fields indicative of the longitudinal position of the magnetic trigger member and the selector level of the automatic gearbox, wherein the plurality of magnetic field sensitive components exploit the Hall effect for sensing the magnetic fields generated as the magnetic trigger member slides alone the holder, wherein n magnetic tracks and n magnetic field sensitive components are provided to detect 2.sup.n longitudinal positions of the selector level of the automatic gearbox;
• and
• a switching arrangement operable with the magnetic field sensitive components for evaluating the signal to influence a motor vehicle device associated with the selector level of the automatic gearbox as a function of the longitudinal position of the selector level of the automatic gearbox.