Patent ID: 8842307

Claim:
An authentication apparatus comprising: a network reception portion for receiving an authentication code included in a provisional registration command, the provisional registration command being input at a user terminal; an inquiring unit for inquiring whether information corresponding to the authentication code is stored in an authentication server; a memory for storing the authentication code received by the network reception portion for provisional registration when the information corresponding to the authentication code is not stored in said authentication server; a reading device for reading identification data that is card identification information of an IC card or biological information; and a controller for controlling an authentication apparatus, said controller obtaining an authentication result of said authentication server based on said identification data read by said reading device; determining whether the authentication code is stored in said memory when the authentication result indicates authentication has failed; obtaining the authentication code from said memory; transmitting user information to said authentication server to be registered for full registration in the authentication server when the authentication code has been determined to be stored in said memory and the authentication result indicates authentication has failed, the user information including the identification data read by said reading device and the authentication code obtained from said memory, the identification data and the authentication code being associated with each other; and executing a user authentication process with said authentication server, based on the user information registered as the full registration in said authentication server.