Patent ID: 7862697

Claim:
A sensor control device including a potential reference terminal and a potential output terminal, said sensor control device being adapted for applying a voltage to a sensor element having an oxygen ion conductor and a pair of electrodes formed on the oxygen ion conductor and for connecting the potential reference terminal to one of the pair of electrodes and the potential output terminal to the other of the pair of electrodes, said sensor control device comprising: a reference potential setting section for setting the potential of the potential reference terminal to a reference point target potential; an output potential setting section for setting the potential of the potential output terminal to an output point target potential so that a target voltage is applied to the sensor element with reference to the potential of the potential reference terminal set to the reference point target potential; and an output point potential correction section for correcting the output point target potential so that the voltage applied to the sensor element remains at the target applied voltage independent of fluctuation in the potential of the potential reference terminal, said output potential setting section adjusting the potential of the potential output terminal so as to assume the corrected output point target potential.