Patent ID: 7461252

Claim:
An authentication method for an authentication system including an information recording medium storing a plurality of applications, including an authentication application holding authentication information and a plurality of terminal applications associated respectively with the plurality of applications, and at least one terminal device communicable with the information recording medium, the method comprising: a comparison step of comparing authentication information inputted by a user and transmitted from the terminal device and the authentication information held by the authentication application, with the authentication application; a storage step of storing authentication status information according to results of the comparison, with the authentication application; an acquisition step of acquiring the authentication status information from the authentication application, with at least one application other than the authentication application, stored in the information recording medium; a notification step of notifying the terminal application associated with the other application stored in the information recording medium that the authentication status information acquired from the authentication application indicates non-authentication when the acquired authentication status indicates the non-authentication; and a request step of requesting the terminal application associated with the authentication application to carry out user authentication, with the terminal application associated with the other application, in response to the notification.