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:
Feb. 19, 1991
Filed:
Apr. 03, 1990
Hiroshi Tanaka, Susono, JP;
Koichi Hoshi, Susono, JP;
Masaru Goudo, Susono, JP;
Mitsuhiro Suzuki, Susono, JP;
Ritsuo Masaki, Susono, JP;
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota, JP;
Abstract
An apparatus for controlling a heater for heating an oxygen sensor provided in an exhaust gas flow passage of an internal combustion engine disposed in an automotive vehicle includes a detection circuit, a decision circuit and a power supply control circuit. The monitor circuit detects a driving condition parameter of the automotive vehicle. The decision circuit determines, from a driving condition represented by the driving condition parameter detected by the detecting circuit, whether or not a power supply control to the heater should be executed. The power supply control circuit supplies, during a predetermined period of time, the heater with an amount of power which is smaller than that to be supplied thereto in a normal driving condition when it is determined that the power supply control to the heater should be executed by the decision circuit so that a resistance value of said heater is controlled to a target resistance value.