Patent ID: 7796528
Filing Date: 2010-09-14
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. An electronic device centralized management apparatus which remotely manages a device connected through a network comprising: a received information storage unit which stores information received from the device; an information extracting unit which extracts information based on a designated attribute of the device from the information stored by the received information storage unit; and a comparing unit which compares a tendency held by the extracted information to a tendency held by the stored information to extract a difference therebetween; an environment estimation unit which estimates an environment in which the device is installed on the basis of a comparison result obtained by the comparing unit; a handling necessary/unnecessary determining unit which compares the environment which is estimated by the environment estimation unit and in which the device is installed to a predetermined handling necessary/unnecessary criterion to determine whether handling of the device is necessary or unnecessary; a notification unit which notifies that handling of the device is necessary when the handling necessary/unnecessary determining unit determines that handling of the device is necessary due to a case wherein the environment which is estimated by the environment estimation unit and in which the device is installed is not less than the predetermined handling necessary/unnecessary criterion, wherein the information extracting unit extracts information from information of a predetermined degree of importance of information received from the device on the basis of the designated attribute of the device; the comparing unit compares a tendency held by the information of the predetermined degree of importance extracted by the information extracting unit with a tendency held by the information of the predetermined degree of importance stored in the received information storage unit; the environment estimation unit estimates an environment in which the device is installed on the basis of the comparison result obtained by the comparing unit; the handling necessary/unnecessary determining unit calculates a probability of occurrence of a state in which the information of the predetermined degree of importance is transmitted in the environment which is estimated by the environment estimation unit and in which the device is installed, compares the probability with the predetermined handling necessary/unnecessary criterion to determine whether handling of the device is necessary or unnecessary; and the notification unit notifies that handling of the device is necessary when the handling necessary/unnecessary determining unit determines that the handling of the device is necessary due to a case wherein the probability of occurrence of the state in which the information of the predetermined degree of importance is transmitted in the environment which is estimated by the environment estimation unit and in which the device is installed is not less than the predetermined handling necessary/unnecessary criterion.