| CPC G01N 15/06 (2013.01) [G01N 7/00 (2013.01); B60H 1/00785 (2013.01); G01N 2015/0026 (2013.01)] | 13 Claims |

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1. A method for determining a relative humidity of air in a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, comprising:
determining a parameter that reflects a specific humidity of the air in a particulate matter sensor,
wherein the particulate matter sensor is disposed within an air quality system of the motor vehicle in communication with an air flow through the air quality system,
wherein the particulate matter sensor comprises at least one temperature sensor and a relative humidity sensor,
wherein the parameter is determined using a sensor relative humidity, a sensor temperature, and a saturated vapor pressure at the sensor temperature,
wherein the sensor relative humidity is obtained from the relative humidity sensor such that the sensor relative humidity is the relative humidity of the air in the particulate matter sensor,
wherein the sensor temperature is obtained from the at least one temperature sensor such that the sensor temperature is a temperature of the air in the particulate matter sensor, and
wherein the saturated vapor pressure is calculated from the sensor temperature; and
determining a compartment relative humidity using the parameter and a compartment temperature,
wherein the compartment relative humidity is the relative humidity of the air in the passenger compartment, and the compartment temperature is the temperature of the air in the passenger compartment.
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