Patent ID: 7251981
Filing Date: 2007-08-07
Classification: G01N,H01M,Y02E,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A gas sensor degradation diagnosis method for diagnosing the degradation of a detection means employing a plurality of detector members that comprise detector elements and temperature compensating elements and that are disposed in close proximity to one another, with at least one of the plurality of detector members serving as a reference detector member, and the others serving as common detector members, the gas sensor degradation diagnosis method comprising the steps of: performing concentration detection of the gas under detection by the common detector members by supplying power only to the common detector members during concentration detection of the gas under detection; performing concentration detection of the gas under detection by means of each of the detector members by supplying power to both the common detector members and the reference detector members during degradation diagnosis of the common detector members; and performing degradation diagnosis of the common detector members by comparing the output values of the common detector members with the output values of the reference detector members.