Patent ID: 8145755

Claim:
A terminal management apparatus realized by a computer for managing information of users of communication terminals, the terminal management apparatus comprising: a memory communicating with the computer and storing information about an association between a terminal belonging to a user and other user or other terminal belonging to the other user, the memory including a parent registration list for storing a user ID of the other user who is allowed to use the terminal and a child registration list for storing a terminal ID of the other terminal which the user of the terminal is allowed to use; an association setting portion provided for each group of terminals which the user is allowed to use, the association setting portion setting an association, when a user ID included in an association setting request received from the other terminal has been stored in the parent registration list, so as to allow the other user to use the terminal and sets an association, when a terminal ID included in an association setting request received from the other terminal has been stored in the child registration list, so as to allow the user of the terminal to use the other terminal, wherein a pre-created secret information is contained in the association setting request, the secret information is presented at a time of setting an association and compared with a stored secret information, thereby confirming that the association setting request is made by a proper terminal, and the terminal comprises a proximity sensing portion for sensing by a proximity wireless that the terminal and another terminal come close to each other and a request generating portion for, when the proximity sensing portion senses that the another terminal comes close, generating the association setting request containing instrument IDs obtained from the terminal and the another terminal and sending it to the association setting portion; and a terminal management portion corresponding to each terminal, wherein the terminal management portion controls, when the association for allowing the other user to use the terminal is set, the terminal so as to allow the other user to carry out a communication using the terminal and controls, when the association for allowing the user of the terminal to use the other terminal is set, the other terminal so as to allow the user of the terminal to carry out a communication using the other terminal.