EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, AND EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT METHOD

When a trouble has occurred in any one or more of copying machines, a data terminal (i.e. an equipment management apparatus) transmits to the computer of the management center the trouble data and the management data about the copying machines in which no trouble has occurred. Therefore, the management data about a plurality of copying machines can be efficiently transmitted to the computer of the management center. The copying machine of which management data is to be transmitted together with the trouble data is determined in accordance with the count number remaining until the time for the next regular maintenance comes. As a result, the management data about the copying machine which is scheduled to have regular maintenance in a near future can be transmitted to the computer of the management center prior to other data. The management center can know which copying machine is scheduled to have maintenance in a near future. As a result, a service engineer can be efficiently dispatched.