Patent ID: 7324771

Claim:
A method of controlling a fuser assembly within an image forming apparatus, the fuser assembly including a heating member, a backup member cooperating with the heating member to form a nip therebetween for fusing images onto substrates passing through the nip, the method comprising the steps of: determining a set point temperature for performing a fusing operation; determining if said image forming apparatus has transitioned from a standby mode to a print mode; defining a heating temperature greater than said set point temperature and setting said heating temperature as a target temperature for heating said fuser if said image forming apparatus has transitioned from said standby mode to said print mode; switching a power control for said fuser to operate in a high power region, increasing power to said fuser, to cause power to be applied to said fuser at a first power level to heat said fuser toward said heating temperature; and setting said target temperature to said set point temperature if one of the following has occurred: a) a sensed temperature of said fuser reaches said heating temperature; b) a predetermined time period has elapsed following switching said power control to operate in said high power region; or c) said power control for said fuser has been maintained to operate in said high power region for a selected time period and said sensed temperature has increased a predetermined increment from a sensed temperature measured at the time of said switching to operate in said high power region.