The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 18, 2020
Filed:
Feb. 19, 2018
Ngk Spark Plug Co., Ltd., Nagoya, JP;
NGK Spark Plug Co., LTD., Nagoya, JP;
Abstract
A sensor element drive circuit is a circuit including a plurality of semiconductor elements formed on a semiconductor substrate for realizing a current control function and a switching function. The current control function is a function of controlling the current flowing between electrodes such that the potential difference between electrodes becomes constant. The switching function is a function for switching between a connected state in which the electrodes are electrically connected to a sensor control apparatus and a cut-off state in which electrical continuity therebetween is broken. When one of an Ip+ terminal, a COM terminal, and a Vs+ terminal is determined to have an anomalous potential, the sensor control apparatus causes the sensor element drive circuit to perform switching from the connected state to the cut-off state, and connects the semiconductor substrate to a negative voltage lower than a ground potential applied to the sensor element drive circuit.