Patent ID: 8056126

Claim:
An authentication system for an instruction processing apparatus, the authentication system, comprising: first and second authentication portions each for performing user authentication at the time of using the instruction processing apparatus; a recording portion that records an authentication result; and a controller which makes the first authentication portion execute the user authentication based on user information and switches from the first authentication portion to the second authentication portion when the user authentication by the first authentication portion cannot be established, and which adds restrictions to processing functions of the instruction processing apparatus based on a determination of whether or not an authentication result by the first or second authentication portion can be recorded in the recording portion, wherein the added restrictions result in a fewer amount of processing functions being available to a user when the authentication result by the first or second authentication portion is not able to be recorded in the recording portion than when the authentication result can be recorded in the recording portion, and wherein the second authentication portion executes the user authentication based on the user information.