Information estimation device, information estimation method, and computer-readable storage medium

An information estimation method for estimating the time of issue of a document to be estimated, comprising the steps of:

• (a) extracting time representations described in the document to be estimated, and generating a plurality of issue time candidates potentially corresponding to the time of issue of the document to be estimated based on the extracted time representations;
• and
• (b) obtaining temporal proximities between a given issue time candidate and other issue time candidates for each of the plurality of issue time candidates, and estimating the time of issue of the document to be estimated based on the obtained temporal proximities.

A computer-readable storage medium having recorded thereon a software program for estimating the time of issue of a document to be estimated using a computer, the software program comprising instructions directing a computer to execute the steps of:

• (a) extracting time representations described in the document to be estimated, and generating a plurality of issue time candidates potentially corresponding to the time of issue of the document to be estimated based on the extracted time representations;
• and
• (b) obtaining temporal proximities between a given issue time candidate and other issue time candidates for each of the plurality of issue time candidates, and estimating the time of issue of the document to be estimated based on the obtained temporal proximities.