Patent ID: 8874349

Claim:
A sensor control apparatus comprising: a gas sensor which comprises: a sensor element for measuring a concentration of a particular gas component contained in a gas flowing within a pipe disposed in an internal combustion engine, a housing which houses the sensor element therein and is inserted into the pipe, and a base part which is formed of a resin, attached to the housing and disposed on an outer side of the pipe; a heating part which increases a temperature of the sensor element; and a control part which adjusts at least one of voltage and current supplied to the heating part to maintain the temperature of the sensor element at an activating temperature, wherein the control part determines whether or not, when the internal combustion engine having been driven is stopped, the internal combustion engine is stopped in a manner satisfying a predetermined automatic stop condition, and wherein when it is determined that the internal combustion engine is stopped in the manner satisfying the predetermined automatic stop condition, the control part switches from a control for maintaining the temperature of the sensor element at the activating temperature to a control in a stop state for reducing at least one of the voltage and current supplied to the heating part to thereby set a temperature of the base part to a value equal to or lower than a shape holding temperature of the resin.