Patent ID: 8453259

Claim:
An authentication apparatus, comprising: a storage portion to store a user record including identity authentication information for authentication of identity of a user, and owner authentication information assigned to a possession of the user; an identity authentication portion to compare identity authentication information received from one of a plurality of information processing apparatuses with said identity authentication information included in said user record for authentication; a first permission portion to transmit a permission signal permitting login based on said identity authentication information authenticated by said identity authentication portion to said one of said plurality of information processing apparatuses that transmitted said identity authentication information; an owner authentication portion to compare owner authentication information received from one of said plurality of information processing apparatuses with said owner authentication information included in said user record for authentication; and a second permission portion to transmit a permission signal permitting login based on said owner authentication information authenticated by said owner authentication portion to said one of said plurality of information processing apparatuses that transmitted said owner authentication information; wherein said second permission portion includes a request transmitting portion to transmit, before permitting the login based on said received owner authentication information, a request for multiple logins to the information processing apparatus that permitted the previous login based on said identity authentication information, said identity authentication information being associated with said received owner authentication information by said user record, in a case where a user previously logged in using said identity authentication information continues to be logged in when one of the plurality of information processing apparatuses sends an authentication request based on said received owner authentication information, and said second permission portion permits the login based on said received owner authentication information on the condition that a permission instruction is received from said information processing apparatus to which said request for multiple logins was transmitted.