Patent ID: 8782202

Claim:
A device monitor control apparatus that is built in a first device connecting with a network and sends monitor information from the first device to a server connecting with the network, the monitor information including self-monitoring information of the first device, the device monitor control apparatus comprising: a monitor information storage module configured to store the monitor information; a monitor information collection module in communication with a second device connecting to the server, wherein the monitor information collection module collects from the second device monitor information of the second device, which is to be sent to the server and is stored in the second device, and stores the collected monitor information in the monitor information storage module; a first, decision module that determines at a preset time for transmitting the monitor information to the server, whether monitor information for transmission, which is to be sent to the server, is stored in the monitor information storage module; a second decision module that issues a required-state for collecting monitor information when monitor information is stored in the monitor information storage, module for at least a predetermined time, and issues a not-required-state for not collecting monitor information when monitor information is not stored in the monitor information storage module for at least the predetermined time; a transmission module that sends the collected monitor information of the second device and the self-monitoring information of the first device stored in the monitor information storage module to the server when the first decision module determines that the monitor information for transmission is stored in the monitor information storage module, and does not send any monitor information to the server when the first decision module determines that any monitor information for transmission is not stored in the monitor information storage module; a reception complete response receiving module that receives a reception complete response which represents completed reception of the monitor information, from the server; and a monitor information deletion module that deletes from the monitor information storage module sent monitor information which has been sent to the server, in answer to the reception complete response; wherein the transmission module sends to the second device a deletion request for deletion of the collected monitor information of the second device in answer to the reception complete response; wherein the first device and the second device are devices that execute an output process based on an instruction from a client computer; and wherein the monitor information is sent to the server from the first device or the second device via the network without the client computer.