Patent ID: 8064787

Claim:
A method of controlling a fusing temperature in a fuser assembly, comprising: setting a temperature setpoint value to a predetermined initial value; setting said fusing temperature to correspond with said temperature setpoint value at least during fusing operations; providing a predetermined count threshold corresponding to a substrate count event; counting a number of substrates conveyed through said fuser assembly defining a substrate count; comparing said substrate count to said predetermined count threshold; performing a temperature compensation if said substrate count corresponds to said predetermined count threshold comprising: adjusting said temperature setpoint value to a compensated temperature setpoint value; and adjusting said fusing temperature to correspond with said compensated temperature setpoint value, wherein said compensated temperature setpoint value is configured to compensate for an expected change in area of a fusing region of said fuser assembly; wherein said predetermined initial value is based on an initial size of said area of said fusing region, said predetermined count threshold corresponds to a number of substrates conveyed through said fuser assembly during a number of fusing operations when said fusing region is substantially at said initial size of said area thereof; wherein said providing a predetermined count threshold corresponding to a substrate count event further comprises providing at least one additional predetermined count threshold, said comparing said substrate count to said predetermined count threshold comprises comparing said substrate count to at least one of said predetermined count threshold and said at least one additional predetermined count threshold, and said performing a temperature compensation if said substrate count corresponds to said predetermined count threshold further comprises performing an adjustment for each substrate count that corresponds to an associated one predetermined count threshold by: adjusting said temperature setpoint value to an associated compensated temperature setpoint value; and adjusting said fusing temperature to correspond with said associated compensated temperature setpoint value; wherein said adjusting said fusing temperature to correspond with said associated compensated temperature setpoint value comprises adjusting said fusing temperature so as to lower said fusing temperature each time said temperature setpoint value is adjusted without ever increasing said compensated temperature setpoint value for said fusing assembly during a remaining lifetime of said fusing assembly.