Patent ID: 7583567

Claim:
An information retrieval device having an insertion slot for inserting a medium having data to be retrieved, comprising: an input unit for sending a signal upon accepting an input; an eject unit for ejecting the medium in the insertion slot; and a control unit for controlling the eject unit upon receiving the signal from the input unit after an ejection instruction is accepted as an input by the input unit, a display screen for displaying an eject button area; and a touch panel disposed on the display screen for detecting an operation, wherein the signal sent to the control unit from the input unit after the ejection instruction is accepted as an input by the input unit causes the control unit to establish an ejection prohibition control with the eject unit for prohibiting a media ejection operation of the eject unit, the touch panel is used as a part of the input unit, the media ejection operation of the eject unit is permitted when the control unit detects an operation in the eject button area on the touch panel and the ejection prohibition control has not been established, and the media ejection operation of the eject unit is prohibited by one of hiding the eject button area from the display screen and invalidating the signal from the display screen to the control unit upon detecting the operation in the eject button area.