Patent ID: 7716490

Claim:
An access control apparatus that controls access to a predetermined resource, comprising: user relationship definition information defining a predetermined relationship of a user attempting to access the predetermined resource with a further user which is different from the user attempting to access; indirect access control information defining an access right to the predetermined resource based on the predetermined relationship; an indirect access right determining unit that detects the further user with which the user has the predetermined relationship based on the user relationship definition information, and determines an access right of the user based on the predetermined relationship with the detected further user and the indirect access control information, direct access control information defining the access right to the predetermined resource on a per user basis or on a per user category basis; and a direct access right determining unit that determines the access right of the user based on the direct access control information, wherein the indirect access right determining unit determines the access right of the user based on an access right of the further user which further user access right is determined based on the direct access control information, wherein, if a determination result by the direct access right determining unit is negative, the indirect access right determining unit determines the access right of the user.