Banner page outputting method and printer using this method and printer system using this method

A printer adapted to be connected to a network for shared use by a plurality of network clients, the printer comprising:

• an interface unit for receiving print jobs and client identification information from network clients;
• a memory for client identification information;
• a circuit which compares the client identification information for a current print job with client identification information stored in the memory for the previous print job;
• a print controller;
• a print engine;
• and
• a central processing unit (CPU),
• the CPU being operative;
• if the client identification information for the current print job is different from the stored client identification information in the memory,
• to instruct the print controller to generate a client identification banner corresponding to the client identification information for the current print job;
• to instruct the print engine to print the client identification banner for the current print job together with the print job;
• and
• to replace the client identification information stored in the memory with the client identification information for the current print job.

A printer system comprised of a print server and a printer adapted to be connected to a network for shared use by a plurality of network clients, the print server comprising:

• a first interface unit for receiving print jobs and client identification information from network clients;
• a memory unit for storing client identification information;
• a circuit which compares the client identification information for a current print job with client identification information stored in the memory for the previous print job;
• a print controller, and
• a first central processing unit (CPU),
• the CPU being operative;
• if the client identification information for the current print job is different from the client identification information in the memory,
• to instruct the print controller to generate a client identification banner corresponding to the client identification information for the current print job;
• to transmit control commands and the client identification banner generated by the print controller for the current print job, together with the associated print job, to the printer;
• to instruct the printer to print the client identification banner for the current print job together with the print job;
• and
• to replace the client identification information stored in the memory with the client identification information for the current print job, the printer comprising:
• a second interface unit which receives data from the print server;
• a print engine;
• and
• a second CPU for controlling the operation of the printer,
• the second CPU being operative to control the print engine in response to commands from the first CPU.