US 11,788,980 B2
Apparatus of countering contamination in gas sensors including corresponding circuit
Fabio Passaniti, Syracuse (IT); and Enrico Rosario Alessi, Catania (IT)
Assigned to STMicroelectronics S.r.l., Agrate Brianza (IT)
Filed by STMicroelectronics S.r.l., Agrate Brianza (IT)
Filed on Jun. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/840,212.
Application 17/840,212 is a division of application No. 16/566,069, filed on Sep. 10, 2019, granted, now 11,391,686.
Claims priority of application No. 102018000008567 (IT), filed on Sep. 13, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0308003 A1, Sep. 29, 2022
Int. Cl. G01N 27/12 (2006.01); G01N 33/00 (2006.01); H05B 1/02 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 27/123 (2013.01) [G01N 33/007 (2013.01); H05B 1/0283 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus, comprising a circuit which includes:
at least one input node configured to receive from a gas sensor a sensing signal indicative of a sensed entity;
at least one power node configured to power a heating element of the gas sensor; and
processing circuitry coupled with the at least one input node and the at least one power node and configured to:
drive the heating element of the gas sensor at a first heating power value;
receive from the gas sensor a sensing signal indicative of a sensed entity;
detect, as a function of the received sensing signal, onset of a sensor contamination condition;
continue driving the heating element of the gas sensor at said first heating power value if said detecting fails to indicate onset of a sensor contamination condition; and
activate a protection mode when onset of the sensor contamination condition is detected, wherein activation of the protection mode includes driving the heating element of the gas sensor at a second heating power value for a protection interval, wherein said second heating power value is lower than said first heating power value.