DEVICE MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, DEVICE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, AND DEVICE MANAGEMENT METHOD

• US 20140337514A1
• Filed: 05/01/2014
• Published: 11/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yoshiko Maruyama
• Inventors: MARUYAMA, Yoshiko
• Granted Patent: US 9,769,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events

Abstract

A device management apparatus is connected to a plurality of devices and a plurality of information processing apparatuses using the devices, through a network. The device management apparatus includes: an obtaining unit that obtains usage amount information about usage amounts from the devices; a calculation unit that calculates unit usage amounts that are usage amounts of the respective devices per unit period, using the usage amount information about the respective devices; an analysis unit that analyzes use of the devices using the unit usage amounts of the respective devices; a change unit that changes allocation of the information processing apparatuses to the devices based on an analysis result in order to equalize use of the devices; and a notification unit that notifies the information processing apparatus for which an allocated device has been changed, of usage information required to use the device.

Claims

1. A device management apparatus connected to a plurality of devices and a plurality of information processing apparatuses using the devices, through a network, the device management apparatus comprising:

an obtaining unit that obtains usage amount information about usage amounts from the devices;

a calculation unit that calculates unit usage amounts that are usage amounts of the respective devices per unit period, using the usage amount information about the respective devices;

an analysis unit that analyzes use of the devices using the unit usage amounts of the respective devices;

a change unit that changes allocation of the information processing apparatuses to the devices based on an analysis result in order to equalize use of the devices; and

a notification unit that notifies the information processing apparatus for which an allocated device has been changed, of usage information required to use the device.

2. The device management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies an information processing apparatus for which an allocated device has been changed, of the usage information based on a fact that the allocation of the information processing apparatuses to the devices has been changed.

3. The device management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit receives inquiries about whether allocation of the information processing apparatuses to the devices has been changed, from the respective information processing apparatuses and notifies an information processing apparatus of the usage information when a device allocated to the information processing apparatus has been changed.

4. The device management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when a type of a device allocated to an information processing apparatus is identical to a type before allocation change, the notification unit notifies the information processing apparatus of setting information about a setting of the device as the usage information.

5. The device management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when a type of a device allocated to an information processing apparatus is different from a type before allocation change, the notification unit notifies the information processing apparatus of setting information about a setting of the device and a control program to control the device as the usage information.

6. The device management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determination unit that determines whether to change the allocation of the information processing apparatuses to the devices based on the analysis result,

wherein, when it has been determined to change the allocation of the information processing apparatuses to the devices, the change unit changes the allocation of the information processing apparatuses to the devices based on the analysis result in order to equalize use of the devices.

7. The device management apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the analysis unit calculates an average unit usage amount based on an analysis method using the average unit usage amount that is an average of the unit usage amounts of the devices in order to calculate absolute values of a differences of unit usage amounts of the respective devices from the average unit usage amount,

the determination unit determines that the allocation of the information processing apparatuses to the devices is to be changed when at least one of the absolute values of the differences for the devices is equal to or larger than a first threshold, and

the change unit changes the allocation of the information processing apparatuses to the devices such that all the absolute values of the differences for the devices are smaller than the first threshold when it has been determined to change the allocation of the information processing apparatuses to the devices.

8. The device management apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the change unit reduces number of information processing apparatuses allocated to a device for which an absolute value of a difference is equal to or larger than the first threshold and for which a unit usage amount is larger than the average unit usage amount, and increases number of information processing apparatuses allocated to a device for which an absolute value of a difference is equal to or larger than the first threshold and for which a unit usage amount is smaller than the average unit usage amount.

9. The device management apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the analysis unit calculates, based on an analysis method using contractual unit usage amounts that are usage amounts per unit period determined in a contract for the respective devices, absolute values of differences of unit usage amounts from the contractual unit usage amounts of the respective devices,

the determination unit determines that the allocation of the information processing apparatuses to the devices is to be changed when at least one of the absolute values of the differences for the devices is equal to or larger than a second threshold, and

the change unit changes the allocation of the information processing apparatuses to the devices such that all the absolute values of the differences are smaller than the second threshold when it has been determined to change the allocation of the information processing apparatuses to the devices.

10. The device management apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the change unit reduces number of information processing apparatuses allocated to a device for which an absolute value of a difference is equal to or larger than the second threshold and for which a unit usage amount is larger than the contractual unit usage amount, and increases number of information processing apparatuses allocated to a device for which an absolute value of a difference is equal to or larger than the second threshold and for which a unit usage amount is smaller than the contractual unit usage amount.

11. The device management apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the analysis unit calculates, based on an analysis method using an average operation rate that is an average of operation rates of the devices, the operation rates of the respective devices and the average operation rate using performance values and the unit usage amounts of the respective devices in order to calculate absolute values of differences of the operation rates of the respective devices from the average operation rate,

the determination unit determines that the allocation of the information processing apparatuses to the devices is to be changed when at least one of the absolute values of the differences for the devices is equal to or larger than a third threshold, and

the change unit changes the allocation of the information processing apparatuses to the devices such that all the absolute values of the differences are smaller than the second threshold when it has been determined to change the allocation of the information processing apparatuses to the devices.

12. The device management apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the change unit reduces number of information processing apparatuses allocated to a device for which an absolute value of a difference is equal to or larger than the third threshold and for which operation rate is higher than the average operation rate, and increases number of information processing apparatuses allocated to a device for which an absolute value of a difference is equal to or larger than the third threshold and for which an operation rate is lower than the average operation rate.

13. A device management system comprising:

a plurality of devices;

a plurality of information processing apparatuses using the devices; and

a device management apparatus connected to the devices and the information processing apparatuses through a network, wherein

the device management apparatus includes;

an obtaining unit that obtains usage amount information about usage amounts from the devices;

a calculation unit that calculates unit usage amounts that are usage amounts of the respective devices per unit period, using the usage amount information about the respective devices;

an analysis unit that analyzes use of the devices using the unit usage amounts of the respective devices;

a change unit that changes allocation of the information processing apparatuses to the devices based on an analysis result in order to equalize use of the devices; and

a notification unit that notifies the information processing apparatus for which an allocated device has been changed, of usage information required to use the device, and

each of the information processing apparatuses includes a usage setting unit that configures a setting for use of an allocated device based on the notified usage information.

14. The device management system according to claim 13, wherein the notification unit notifies an information processing apparatus for which an allocated device has been changed, of the usage information based on a fact that the allocation of the information processing apparatuses to the devices has been changed.

15. The device management system according to claim 13, wherein each of the information processing apparatuses further includes an inquiry unit that periodically sends the device management apparatus an inquiry about whether allocation of that information processing apparatus to the devices has been changed, and

the notification unit receives inquiries about whether allocation of the information processing apparatuses to the devices has been changed from the respective information processing apparatuses and, when a device allocated to an information processing apparatus has been changed, notifies the information processing apparatus of the usage information.

16. The device management system according to claim 13, wherein, when a type of a device allocated to an information processing apparatus is identical to a type before allocation change, the notification unit notifies the information processing apparatus of setting information about a setting of the device as the usage information.

17. The device management system according to claim 13, wherein, when a type of a device allocated to an information processing apparatus is different from a type before the allocation change, the notification unit notifies the information processing apparatus of setting information about a setting of the device and a control program to control the device as the usage information.

18. A device management method performed in a device management system comprising, comprising:

obtaining usage amount information about usage amounts from devices;

calculating unit usage amounts that are usage amounts of the respective devices per unit period, using the usage amount information about the respective devices;

analyzing use of the devices using the unit usage amounts of the respective devices;

changing allocation of information processing apparatuses to the devices based on an analysis result in order to equalize use of the devices;

notifying an information processing apparatus for which an allocated device has been changed, of usage information required to use the device; and

configuring a setting for use of an allocated device based on the notified usage information.