Linear position sensor for a transmission manual valve

A position sensor for measuring linear displacement of a shiftable manual valve in an automatic transmission for an automotive vehicle, the manual valve being a component of a control valve system in a transmission housing for the transmission whereby ranges of transmission gear ratios can be selected;

• a position sensor housing secured to the transmission housing, a magnet carrier slidably positioned in the sensor housing;
• a pair of magnets in the magnet carrier with juxtaposed poles;
• a sensor circuit board secured to the sensor housing adjacent the magnet carrier;
• an array of GMR elements and electronic circuitry on the circuit board, the GMR elements being positioned adjacent the magnet poles in a magnetic flux field between the poles;
• the array of GMR elements being oriented in a direction transverse to the direction of shifting movement of the manual valve;
• means for translating shifting linear movement of the manual valve to shifting movement of the array of the magnet carrier in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the manual valve whereby displacement of the magnets relative to the array of GMR elements occurs to provide a variable magnetic flux field strength with respect to the elements;
• and
• a resistance circuit including a voltage source for the array of GMR elements, a voltage drop in the resistance circuit being directly related to the position of the manual valve whereby the position of the manual valve is determined.