Patent ID: 11946888
Assignee: SENSIRION AG
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A thermal sensor device for determining a fluid parameter associated with a fluid in thermal contact with the thermal sensor device based on a heat transfer behavior of the fluid, the thermal sensor device comprising:
one or more heaters;
means for determining a response of the sensor device to heater power being supplied to the one or more heaters; and
processing circuitry for supplying the heater power and for processing the response of the sensor device to determine at least one value of the fluid parameter based on said response,
the processing circuitry being configured to carry out a method for detecting faults of the thermal sensor device comprising the steps of:
a) operating the thermal sensor device in a first mode of operation to determine a first value of the fluid parameter;
b) operating the thermal sensor device in a second mode of operation to determine a second value of the fluid parameter; and
c) deriving a fault indicator value based on a comparison of the first and second values of the fluid parameter.