Method, device, and system for operating a nitrogen oxide sensor

1. A method for operating a nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ) of a vehicle having a first nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ), a second nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ) and a catalytic converter, wherein one of the first and second nitrogen oxide sensors ( 10 ) is arranged upstream of the catalytic converter with respect to the exhaust gas flow direction, and the other of the first and second nitrogen oxide sensors ( 10 ) is arranged downstream of the catalytic converter with respect to the exhaust gas flow direction, the method comprising:

determining a first characteristic value of the first nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 );

determining a second characteristic value of the second nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 );

determining a ratio of the first characteristic value to the second characteristic value; and

adapting a sensor measured value of the second nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ) in accordance with the ratio of the first characteristic value to the second characteristic value,

wherein the first and the second characteristic value are representative of a self-diagnosis value of the respective nitrogen oxide sensors ( 10 ), and

wherein the self-diagnosis value is a low-pass filtered current representative of a ratio of a measured oxygen concentration to a predetermined reference oxygen concentration.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and the second characteristic values are representative of a measured nitrogen oxide value in a predetermined operating state of the vehicle.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the adapting is performed such that, after adapting, the ratio of the sensor measured value of the first nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ) to the sensor measured value of the second nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ) is approximately 1.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the adapting comprises correcting a predetermined characteristic curve of the second nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ).

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the adapting comprises multiplying the ratio of the first characteristic value to the second characteristic value by a predetermined gradient value of the characteristic curve of the second nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ).

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:

the first nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ) is arranged downstream of the catalytic converter with respect to the exhaust gas flow direction, and the second nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ) is arranged upstream of the catalytic converter with respect to the exhaust gas flow direction, and

the first characteristic value is compared with a predetermined first minimum value and, in a case that the first characteristic value is less than the first minimum value, the first nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ) is classified as faulty.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:

the first nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ) is arranged downstream of the catalytic converter with respect to the exhaust gas flow direction, and the second nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ) is arranged upstream of the catalytic converter with respect to the exhaust gas flow direction,

wherein the second characteristic value is compared with a predetermined second minimum value and, if the second characteristic value is less than the second minimum value, the second nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ) is classified as faulty.

8. A method for operating a nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ) of a vehicle having a first nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ), a second nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ) and a catalytic converter, wherein one of the first and second nitrogen oxide sensors ( 10 ) is arranged upstream of the catalytic converter with respect to the exhaust gas flow direction, and the other of the first and second nitrogen oxide sensors ( 10 ) is arranged downstream of the catalytic converter with respect to the exhaust gas flow direction, the method comprising:

determining a first characteristic value of the first nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 );

determining a second characteristic value of the second nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 );

determining a ratio of the first characteristic value to the second characteristic value;

adapting a sensor measured value of the second nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ) in accordance with the ratio of the first characteristic value to the second characteristic value,

wherein the adapting comprises correcting a predetermined characteristic curve of the second nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ), and

wherein the adapting comprises multiplying the ratio of the first characteristic value to the second characteristic value by a predetermined gradient value of the characteristic curve of the second nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ); and

comparing the ratio of the first characteristic value to the second characteristic value with a predetermined maximum value, wherein:

in a case in which the ratio of the first characteristic value to the second characteristic value is higher than the maximum value, the adapting is performed by multiplying the maximum value by the predetermined gradient value of the characteristic curve of the second nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ), and

in a case in which the ratio of the first characteristic value to the second characteristic value is lower than the maximum value, the adapting is performed by multiplying the ratio of the first characteristic value to the second characteristic value by the predetermined gradient value of the characteristic curve of the second nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ).

9. A device for operating a nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ), the device comprising a controller configured to carry out the method as claimed in claim 8 .

10. A system comprising: a device as claimed in claim 9 , a first nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ), a second nitrogen oxide sensor ( 10 ) and a catalytic converter, wherein one of the first and second nitrogen oxide sensors ( 10 ) is arranged upstream of the catalytic converter with respect to the exhaust gas flow direction, and the other of the first and second nitrogen oxide sensors ( 10 ) is arranged downstream of the catalytic converter with respect to the exhaust gas flow direction.