Gas sensor control device and gas sensor control method

A gas sensor control apparatus including a sensor drive circuit which is connected to a gas sensor having at least one cell composed of a solid electrolyte body and a pair of electrodes provided on the solid electrolyte body and which is adapted to supply electricity to the cell in order to drive the gas sensor, the gas sensor control apparatus comprising:

• an instruction unit for selectively outputting a deenergization instruction for setting the sensor drive circuit to a deenergization state for stopping supply of electricity to the cell and an energization instruction for setting the sensor drive circuit to an energization state for supplying electricity to the cell;
• a setting unit, operable upon receipt of each of the instructions, for setting the sensor drive circuit to the deenergization state or the energization state in accordance with the received instruction;
• a wiring anomaly detection unit for detecting a wiring anomaly of the sensor drive circuit or the gas sensor;
• a determination unit, operable when the wiring anomaly detection unit detects the wiring anomaly, for performing return-from-anomaly checking processing so as to instruct the instruction means to output the deenergization instruction for setting the sensor drive circuit to the deenergization state and then output the energization instruction for setting the sensor drive circuit to the energization state, and for performing determination processing so as to determine whether or not the wiring anomaly has disappeared as a result of performance of the return-from-anomaly checking processing;
• and
• an anomaly final determination unit for finally determining, on the basis of the result of the determination processing, whether or not the wiring anomaly has occurred.