Abstract: A device identification information managing system is provided. A network printer generates an extension device identifier depending upon dynamic information and a subject-of-registration-device identifier including a basic device identifier of the storage device and a generated extension device identifier, to send the generated subject-of-registration-device identifier to a printer managing server and notify the user. The printer managing server, when receiving a subject-of-registration-device identifier, tentatively registers the received subject-of-registration device identifier to the storage device. When a collating device identifier is received, the received collating device identifier is collated with the subject-of-registration-device identifier of the storage device. Depending upon the collation result, the subject-of-registration-device identifier is registered to the storage device.

Abstract: The invention provides a service provision support system that can reduce the economic expenses imposed on a service recipient due to the provision of a service, and that can provide a service for an unspecified, large number of persons. A charge bundle includes: a usage status detection process, to detect the usage state of a charge bundle compatible device; a charge calculation process, to calculate the usage charge based on the usage status detected during the usage status detection process; and a charge notification process, to notify a charge bundle management server of the usage charge obtained by the charge calculation process. The charge bundle management server generates a charge bundle in accordance with a request received from the service provision terminal, and transmits the generated charge bundle to the charge bundle compatible device.

Abstract: A plurality of network printers 200 are communicably connected to a printer management server 100. Each network printer 200 detects its toner level and sends status information including the toner level to the printer management server 100. The printer management server 100 receives the status information, generates interchange suggestion information based on the status information that suggest that a network printer 200 having a higher toner level and a network printer 200 having a lower toner level should be interchanged, and presents the interchange suggestion information to a user in response to a request.

Abstract: A device-sharing system easily shares devices in a network environment. When a device management server 100 receives a provide-service request, it identifies, based on service information, the network device 210 connected to the home gateway 200 and the network device 210 linked thereto to provide a service as service-related devices, and reads and returns service information for the service-related devices. When the gateway 200 receives the service information in reply to the provide-service request sent to the administration server 100, it displays a service list based on the received service information. When a service is selected from the displayed service list, the gateway relays communication between the device 210 connected to the gateway 200 and the identified service-related device based on the device-to-device communication information contained in the received service information for the selected service.