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AssigneeDenso Corporation
InventorsMasahiro Yamamoto, Masayuki Tamura, Takashi Araki, Go Miyagawa, Manabu Yoshidome, Masato Katsuno, Toshihiro Sakawa
Estimating the term…
After an engine is started, an ECU performs first regeneration processing of a PM sensor through heating by a heater and, after the first regeneration processing, applies a voltage continuously to detection electrodes for a predetermined voltage application period. The ECU causes PM to adhere to an insulating substrate due to the voltage application and, at a time point after the predetermined time period has elapsed, determines the amount of PM that is adhering to the insulating substrate. When a predetermined condition is satisfied outside the voltage application period, the ECU determines whether the amount of adhering PM on the insulating substrate is equal to or greater than an excess determination threshold value. If the amount of adhering PM is determined to be equal to or greater than the excess determination threshold value, the ECU performs second regeneration processing of the PM sensor, through heating by the heater.
A sensor control apparatus configured for application to a sensor, the sensor comprising an adherence portion to which electrically conductive particulate matter contained in exhaust gas adheres, a pair of counter electrodes spaced apart from one another and disposed at the adherence portion, and a heater which heats the adherence portion, the sensor being disposed in an exhaust gas passage of an internal combustion engine and configured to output a detection signal in accordance with the amount of the adhering particulate matter, and the sensor control apparatus configured to detect the amount of the adhering particulate matter based on the detection signal, wherein the sensor control apparatus comprises:
A sensor control apparatus configured for application to a sensor, the sensor comprising an adherence portion to which electrically conductive particulate matter contained in exhaust gas adheres, a pair of counter electrodes spaced apart from one another and disposed at the adherence portion, and a heater which heats the adherence portion, the sensor being disposed in an exhaust gas passage of an internal combustion engine and configured to output a detection signal in accordance with the amount of the adhering particulate matter, and the sensor control apparatus configured to detect the amount of the adhering particulate matter based on the detection signal, wherein the sensor control apparatus comprises:
A sensor control apparatus configured for application to a sensor, the sensor comprising an adherence portion to which electrically conductive particulate matter contained in exhaust gas adheres, a pair of counter electrodes spaced apart from one another and disposed at the adherence portion, and a heater which heats the adherence portion, the sensor being disposed in an exhaust gas passage of an internal combustion engine and configured to output a detection signal in accordance with the amount of the adhering particulate matter, and the sensor control apparatus configured to detect the amount of the adhering particulate matter based on the detection signal, wherein the sensor control apparatus comprises:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.