Shifting apparatus for an automatic transmission including a vehicle security system

A shifting apparatus for use with a motor vehicle having an automatic transmission of the type including a shift position select lever to selectively shift the transmission from a present transmission shift position to one of a plurality of desired transmission shift positions, said apparatus comprising:

• a. an operator input means adapted to be mounted in the passenger compartment of the vehicle and including a plurality of keys accessible for actuation by the vehicle operator and corresponding respectively to said desired transmission shift positions and generator means operative in response to operator actuation of each said key to generate an operator signal representative of said desired transmission shift position;
• b. an actuator module adapted to be mounted on the housing of the transmission proximate the shift position select lever and comprising a motor means adapted to be drivingly connected to the shift position select lever and a variable resistance circuit, said circuit arranged to maintain a resistance value representative of said present transmission shift position;
• c. a processor means including a comparator means for determining said present transmission shift position by measuring the resistance value of said circuit and being operative in response to receipt of an operator signal representative of a desired transmission shift position differing from said present transmission shift position to energize said electric motor assembly to move the shift position select lever to a position corresponding to said desired transmission shift position and operative in response to detecting said present transmission shift position matching said desired transmission shift position to de-energize said electric motor assembly.