Information management method

A method for managing information in an information management system that manages information related to one or more devices,

• the method comprising:
• receiving, via a first network, a device ID indicating one device among the one or more devices and an attribute ID indicating that the one device belongs to a same owner, a same group, or a same home as the one or more devices, the one device being equipped without a notification unit or being equipped with only a simplified notification unit;
• referring to a first database that manages a device which is the management target, and stores at least device IDs indicating the one or more devices and attribute IDs in association with each other;
• determining whether or not a combination of the received device ID and attribute ID already exists in the first database, and determining that the one device belonging to the same owner, the same group, or the same home is not the management target when the combination of the received device ID and attribute ID does not exist in the first database;
• and
• when the one device belonging to the same owner, the same group, or the same home is determined not to be the management target, providing, via a second network, an information providing apparatus, which is associated with the attribute ID and which differs from the one device, with first notification information for confirming whether or not the one device is determined to be the management target,
• receiving, from the information providing apparatus, response information including information indicating whether or not the one device is determined to be the management target;
• updating the first database in accordance with the received response information;
• and
• when the received information indicates that the one device is determined to be the management target, the one device is determined to be the management target, after updating the first database.