Patent ID: 8611774

Claim:
A method for fusing a toner on a receiver having a toner pile that extends at least about 50 μm above the receiver, the method comprising: applying a first energy to raise a temperature of a first portion of the toner pile to a range of elevated temperature levels below a glass transition temperature of the toner; and applying a second energy to raise a temperature of a second portion of the toner pile above the glass transition temperature of the toner and to allow the second portion to transfer energy to the first portion; wherein the second energy is provided at a level that allows the transferred energy to raise the temperature of the first portion from the range of elevated temperature levels to the range of temperatures above the glass transition temperature for the toner; and wherein one of the steps of applying a first energy and applying a second energy is further adapted to apply sufficient energy to raise the temperature of a toner pile that extends less than about 50 μm above the receiver to the range of temperatures above the glass transition temperature, such that the method further comprises a step of determining that a receiver does not have a toner pile that extends at least about 50 μm above a receiver and applying only the further adapted energy to the receiver.