Patent ID: 7577660

Claim:
A terminal device that serves as a terminal of an information processing apparatus, the information processing apparatus being a client of an external user information managing server that manages user information in the form of item values corresponding to user information management items, the terminal device comprising: a group setting screen providing unit that provides a group setting screen configured to enable the formation of a group in the information processing apparatus by providing an input which enables a predetermined item value, corresponding to a predetermined user information management item stored in the external user information managing server, to be set, the group being formed by including each user that has user information stored in the external user information managing server and corresponding to the user that matches the predetermined item value set via the input, the user information managing server managing whether the user belongs to the group, the group setting screen providing unit further configured to enable an attribute for use in the group formation to be entered into the group setting screen, the group being formed based on the entered attribute, the group setting screen configured to enable the formation of a group set of multiple layered groups wherein an operation and a function allowed for a user belonging to an upper user group are inherited to a lower user group associated with the upper group.