Patent ID: 9664640
Date: 2017-05-30
CPC Classifications: F01N,G01N,Y02T

Claim:
1. A gas sensor control apparatus for a gas sensor, the gas sensor outputting an electromotive force signal corresponding to an air-to-fuel ratio of an exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine and including an electromotive force cell, the electromotive force cell having a solid electrolyte body and a pair of electrodes, wherein the solid electrolyte body is held between the pair of electrodes, the pair of electrodes including a reference side electrode and an exhaust side electrode, the reference side electrode becoming a positive side at a time of outputting an electromotive force from the electromotive force cell, and the exhaust side electrode becoming a negative side at the time of outputting the electromotive force from the electromotive force cell, the gas sensor control apparatus comprising: a current conduction regulating device that is installed in an electric path that is connected to the electromotive force cell to induce a flow of a predetermined constant electric current between the exhaust side electrode and the reference side electrode through the solid electrolyte body in the electromotive force cell, wherein: the current conduction regulating device conducts the predetermined constant electric current that is generated while using the electromotive force of the electromotive force cell as an electric power source to induce the flow of the predetermined constant electric current between the exhaust side electrode and the reference side electrode when the electromotive force of the electromotive force cell is in a corresponding electromotive force range which that is equal to or larger than a predetermined electromotive force of the electromotive force cell that is generated at a theoretical air-to-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas; the current conduction regulating device includes: a voltage value of the predetermined reference voltage is smaller than a voltage value of the electromotive force of the electromotive force cell generated at the theoretical air-to-fuel ratio.