Abstract: A communication log storage section stores a communication log of emails exchanged with an external device over an external network. An acquisition destination-selecting section reads out the communication log and identifies an other-end party with whom a target user has performed transmission and reception of emails not less than a predetermined number of times to select the other-end party as an information acquisition destination. An information location-generating section extracts key information related to a location of information at the information acquisition destination contained in the emails transmitted and received to and from the information acquisition destination, to generate information location information. The information location information is stored in an information location-accumulating section. An information acquisition device acquires the information based on the information location information accumulated in the information location-accumulating section.

Abstract: A search supporting device includes an accepting unit for accepting an input word and a URL, a log obtaining unit for obtaining from a search log storing unit in which a log including a search word having been used for every URL of viewed data for a search of the data is stored, the log including a URL having a particular portion in common with the accepted URL and a search word having a particular portion in common with the accepted input word, and an outputting unit for outputting the search word included in the obtained log.

Abstract: An information search apparatus includes a receiving unit which receives a search request from a searcher's terminal; a search unit which searches and retrieves, from a database, candidate information that includes a content satisfying a search criteria set in the search request; a constriction unit which constricts the retrieved candidate information based on similarities between an attribute of an authorized person who is authorized to determine disclosure or non-disclosure of the candidate information included in the candidate information, and an attribute of the searcher who transmits the search request from the searcher's terminal; and a transmission unit which transmits disclosure requests for the constricted candidate information to an authorized person's terminal and transmits candidate information in which a response for the disclosure request received by the receiving unit is set to permit disclosure to the searcher's terminal.

Abstract: An information location management method which is capable of updating information location information corresponding to locations of information which a user desired to acquire, as required. A communication log storage section stores a communication log of emails exchanged with an external device over an external network. An acquisition destination-selecting section reads out the communication log and identifies an other-end party with whom a target user has performed transmission and reception of emails not less than a predetermined number of times to select the other-end party as an information acquisition destination. An information location-generating section extracts key information related to a location of information at the information acquisition destination contained in the emails transmitted and received to and from the information acquisition destination, to generate information location information. The information location information is stored in an information location-accumulating section.