Combination terminal unit

A combination terminal unit comprising:

• an inputting device for inputting a retrieval item and an option item, wherein a search is carried out regarding the input retrieval item via a plurality of different media;
• line connecting means capable of establishing a line connection to at least one medium;
• a storage device for storing therein a plurality of retrieval information entities;
• a display device for displaying any of the retrieval information entities;
• a retrieval controller for, when a retrieval item is inputted by the inputting device, reading out retrieval information entities relevant to the retrieval item from the storage device and displaying the information entities thus read out on the display device;
• wherein the line connection means includes plural physical interfaces for connection to the plurality of media;
• the retrieval controller further for, when a particular retrieval entity is selected from the displayed retrieval information entities by the inputting device, actuating the line connecting means to establish a line connection to a location of the particular retrieval information entity through one of the physical interfaces selected based on the selection of any one of the displayed retrieval information entities;
• a scheduler for preliminarily specifying schedule information for establishing a line connection to a location of a predetermined information entity at a time designated by the inputting device;
• a restriction period storage memory for storing therein a line connection restriction period;
• and
• a line connection permitting circuit for permitting only a line connection to a particular medium during the line connection restriction period immediately before the designated time.

A combination terminal unit comprising:

• an inputting device for inputting a retrieval item and an option item, wherein a search is carried out regarding the input retrieval item via a plurality of different media;
• line connecting means capable of establishing a line connection to at least one medium;
• a storage device for storing therein a plurality of retrieval information entities;
• a display device for displaying any of the retrieval information entities;
• a retrieval controller for, when a retrieval item is inputted by the inputting device, reading out retrieval information entities relevant to the retrieval item from the storage device and displaying the information entities thus read out on the display device;
• wherein the line connection means includes plural physical interfaces for connection to the plurality of media;
• the retrieval controller further for, when a particular retrieval entity is selected from the displayed retrieval information entities by the inputting device, actuating the line connecting means to establish a line connection to a location of the particular retrieval information entity through one of the physical interfaces selected based on the selection of any one of the displayed retrieval information entities;
• a scheduler for preliminarily specifying schedule information for establishing a line connection to a location of a predetermined information entity at a time designated by the inputting device;
• a rejection period storage memory for storing therein a line connection rejection period;
• a line connection rejecting circuit for, when a current time is in the midst of the line connection rejection period immediately before the time specified in the schedule information by the scheduler, rejecting any line connection other than the line connection based on the schedule information specified by the scheduler;
• a restriction period storage memory for storing therein a line connection restriction period;
• a line connection permitting circuit for permitting only a line connection to a particular medium during the line connection restriction period immediately before the designated time;
• a split display controller for, when the line connection permitting circuit permits the line connection to the particular medium, displaying information transmitted through the particular medium as well as information displayed at the time of the line connection on a split screen on the display device;
• and
• actuation designating means for selectively permitting or inhibiting actuation of the line connection rejecting circuit, the line connection permitting circuit and the split display controller.

A storage medium storing therein a program which causes a CPU to perform the functions of:

• allowing an operator to input a retrieval item and an option item;
• establishing a line connection via a line connection function to at least one media, and wherein the line connection may be made to a selected one of a plurality of media based upon a corresponding plurality of physical interfaces;
• storing a plurality of retrieval information entities in storage memory;
• displaying the retrieval information entities;
• when a retrieval item is inputted through the inputting function, reading out retrieval information entities relevant to the retrieval item from the storage memory and displaying the information entities thus read out through the displaying function and, when a particular retrieval information entity is selected from the displayed retrieval information entities through the inputting function, actuating the line connection function to establish a line connection to a location of the particular retrieval information entity via a selected one of the media out of the plurality of media, so that different selected entities are retrieved via different media;
• preliminarily specifying schedule information for establishing a line connection to a location of a predetermined information entity at a time designated by the inputting function;
• storing a line connection rejection period in a rejection period storage memory;
• and
• when a current time is in the midst of the line connection rejection period immediately before the time specified in the schedule information, rejecting any line connection other than the line connection based on the schedule information specified by the scheduler.