Patent ID: 8037521

Claim:
An information processing apparatus, which accepts an operating instruction from a user who has logged into the information processing apparatus and is assigned to input information into a display screen on the information processing apparatus, comprising: the display screen; a login processing unit configured to allow multi-user logins of at least first and second users, and to allow the first user to login and be assigned the screen to input information into the screen and to allow a switchover of assigning the screen to the second user to allow the second user, after the first user, to login and be assigned the screen to input information into the screen, while maintaining a login status of the first user, wherein the login processing unit is configured to allow the first and second users who are logged-in users to switch between a front user status and a back user status, such that a logged-in user given the front user status is allowed to input information into the screen while a logged-in user given the back user status is not allowed to input information into the screen, wherein after the first user logs in and is assigned the front user status to input information into the screen, the information processing apparatus performs a job of the first user, which job of the first user is a job executed by application software, and wherein the login processing unit further detects completion of the job of the first user executed by application software, and upon detecting the completion of the job of the first user executed by application software automatically changes a status of the first user to the back user status to not be assigned to input information into the screen, and automatically without user intervention changes the screen into a logon state screen waiting for input of authentication information.