Patent ID: 8795512

Claim:
A method for measuring and/or calibrating a gas sensor which is provided for determining an oxygenic gas component in exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine, the gas sensor having at least one internal electrode, at least one external electrode, and at least one decomposition electrode for electrochemically decomposing the gas component to be determined, the at least one internal electrode and the at least one decomposition electrode being situated in chambers or sections of the gas sensor which are separate from one another, and an ion flow, which is induced by the decomposition of the gas component to be determined, being used for determining the gas component, the method being carried out during ongoing operation of the gas sensor and comprising: removing at least one of the gas component to be determined and oxygen from at least one of the chambers or sections with the aid of an electrochemical pumping process; introducing oxygen in a controlled manner into at least one of the chambers or sections with the aid of electrochemical pumping processes; measuring changes caused by the introduced oxygen against an additional electrode; and at least one of measuring and calibrating the gas sensor using values obtained via the measuring; wherein the changes are measured at a chamber electrode; and wherein the chamber electrode is positioned in a separate chamber from the at least one internal electrode, the at least one external electrode, and the at least one decomposition electrode.