Method for operating a gas sensor device and gas sensor device

A method for operating a gas sensor device, the gas sensor device including at least one gas-sensitive electrical sensor resistor, a heater for a controlled heating of the sensor resistor, a detector configured to detect a resistance value of the sensor resistor, and a signal processor configured to process measuring signals, the method comprising the following steps:

• carrying out measurements in time intervals, in which the resistance value of the sensor resistor is detected as a measuring signal, and in which the sensor resistor is heated for each measurement, the heater being operated discontinuously in heating intervals and each of the measurements being assigned a respective heating interval;
• wherein:
• at least some of the measurements are carried out automatically in predefined time intervals, and additional ones of the measurements are initiatable at arbitrary times;
• a duration of each of the respective heating intervals assigned to individual ones of the measurements being selected as a function of a time interval from a respective preceding heating interval;
• the sensor resistor is heated to a predefined operating temperature at least in the respective heating intervals assigned to the measurements, the resistance value of the sensor resistor being detected, as the measuring signal during each of the respective heating intervals assigned to the measurements, at an end of the each of the respective heating intervals;
• the duration of each of the respective heating intervals assigned to the individual ones of the measurements being selected as a function of the time interval to the respective preceding heating interval in such a way that the same measuring signal is detected in the measurements under constant ambient conditions;
• and
• a dependency of the duration of each of the heating intervals on the time interval from the respective preceding heating interval is determined based on calibration measurements, which are carried out in a calibration step under constant ambient conditions,
• wherein the sensor resistor is configured to be additionally heated for an additional heating interval.