Patent ID: 9494549
Filing Date: 2016-11-15
CPC Classification: G01N,Y02A

Claim Text:
1. A gas sensor control apparatus for controlling a gas sensor element, the gas sensor element including: a first measuring chamber into which an external gas to be measured is introduced and a second measuring chamber in communication with the first measuring chamber and into which a first chamber gas in an interior of the first measuring chamber is introduced, the first measuring chamber and the second measuring chamber being formed in an interior of the gas sensor element; a second chamber pump cell made of a solid electrolyte; and a pair of electrodes which are provided on the second chamber pump cell and which are disposed inside and outside the second measuring chamber, the gas sensor control apparatus comprising: wherein the voltage changing unit includes voltage switching unit for switching, in a stepwise state, the second chamber pump voltage from a detecting voltage for detecting a specific gas concentration to a determination voltage which is higher than the detecting voltage, and wherein the deterioration determination unit determines the deterioration state of the gas sensor element based on, as the transient response of the concentration-dependent current which is generated by the switching of the second chamber pump voltage by the voltage switching unit, a change in the concentration-dependent current during a decline period, which is a period after the concentration-dependent current rises to its peak from a pre-switching current before the switching of the second chamber pump voltage and then declines.