Patent ID: 8294550

Claim:
An authentication system comprising: a room-security device; and an information processing apparatus installed in a controlled area controlled by the room-security device, wherein the room-security device and the information processing apparatus are connected in a network, the room-security device includes an identification information obtaining portion that obtains, from a user, identification information of the user, and a control portion that performs a room entry control and a room exit control of the user based on the identification information obtained by the identification information obtaining portion, and transmits, if the user is permitted to enter a room, the identification information to the information processing apparatus, the information processing apparatus includes a receiving portion that receives the identification information from the control portion, and an authentication portion that asks the user to enter authentication information to obtain the authentication information, and performs authentication based on the authentication information thus obtained, and if the authentication portion detects, based on the identification information received by the receiving portion, that the user is alone in the controlled area, then the authentication portion stops asking the user to enter the authentication information to obtain the authentication information, and performs the authentication based on the identification information obtained by the identification information obtaining portion of the room-security device.