Method and apparatus for providing a search service in relation to a chat room in a messenger application

Abstract

To provide a method and a device for providing a search service to a chat room of a messenger application.SOLUTION: A method executes a search service provided in a chat room associated with a messenger application, displays the search result corresponding to a search term and at least one autocomplete search term for that search term in a search entry area on the basis of the search term entered in the executed search service.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments relate to a method and apparatus for providing a search service in association with a chat room of a messenger application, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for providing, in a search entry area, search results for a search term input to a search service provided in a chat room together with an automatically completed search term for the search term. Background Art

[0002] Messenger applications are widely used as tools for exchanging messages and content between users. When such a messenger application is installed on a user's mobile terminal or PC, the user can exchange messages with other users and transmit content to other users. A user using the messenger application manages interactions with one or more other users in a chat room. That is, the user and other users can exchange messages and content within the chat room.

[0003] Such a messenger application can not only provide a function for users participating in a chat room to send and receive messages to and from each other, but also provide a search function (search service) in conjunction with a search engine.

[0004] Patent Document 1 (registration date: February 13, 2020) discloses a method of selecting a specific area in a chat room screen of a messenger application, and executing a text search or an image search depending on whether the specific area is a speech bubble area where text is displayed or an image area where an image is displayed. The information described herein is merely for assisting understanding of the present invention, and may include content that does not form part of the prior art. Prior Art Documents Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-2079221 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] One embodiment provides a method for providing a search service by executing a search service provided in a chat room associated with a messenger application, and displaying search results corresponding to the search term and at least one auto-completion search term for the relevant search term in the search entry area, based on the search term entered into the executed search service.

[0007] One embodiment updates and provides the search term and the search results for the auto-completed search term in the search entry area where the auto-completed search term is displayed, based on the entered search term.

[0008] One embodiment provides search results that take into account not only the entered search term but also information related to the chat room in the search entry area where auto-completed search terms are displayed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In one aspect, the present invention provides a method for providing a search service performed by a computer system, the method comprising the steps of: performing a search service provided in a chat room associated with a messenger application; and displaying search results corresponding to a search term and at least one auto-completion search term for the search term in a search entry area, based on a search term entered into the search service.

[0010] The search entry area is displayed as an overlay in the chat room when the search service is executed, and includes a first area for entering the search term and a second area for displaying the search results corresponding to the search term and the auto-completion search term, wherein the display step may display the search results corresponding to the search term at the top of the second area and the auto-completion search term below the search results corresponding to the search term.

[0011] The display step involves displaying the search results corresponding to the search term and the auto-completion search term in the search entry area, even if the user has not made a search request to the search service using the search term to display the search results for the search term, and the search results corresponding to the search term may include a portion of the search results for the search term or a portion of the search results for the first auto-completion search term of the search term.

[0012] If the search term is an incomplete query, the display step displays the search results for the auto-completed search term and the first auto-completed search term in the search entry area, and the first auto-completed search term may be determined based on the user's search term input history for the search service.

[0013] The search results corresponding to the search term may include at least one of the following: an image associated with the search term, a video associated with the search term, movie information associated with the search term, TV program information associated with the search term, location information associated with the search term, official account information associated with the search term, or person information associated with the search term.

[0014] The method for providing the search service may further include the step of sharing selected search results in the chat room, which are chosen from among the search results corresponding to the search term displayed in the search entry area.

[0015] The sharing step may include the step of receiving a selection for at least one piece of content from the search results corresponding to the search term, identifying the selected piece of content as content to be shared, displaying the content to be shared separately from other content in the search results corresponding to the search term, and sharing the selected content to be shared in the chat room upon receiving a selection for the separately displayed content to be shared.

[0016] The display step may involve displaying, in the search entry area, the updated search results corresponding to the changed search term and at least one updated auto-completion search term for the changed search term, as the search term entered into the search service changes.

[0017] The method for providing the search service may further include the step of providing search results for the selected auto-completion search term upon receiving a selection for the auto-completion search term displayed in the search entry area.

[0018] The search results corresponding to the aforementioned search term may include search results modeled by the server providing the search service as search results for the aforementioned search term or automatically completed search terms for the aforementioned search term.

[0019] The modeled search results include search results for search terms that are combinations of the search term or the auto-completion search term, the other search term being determined based on the user's search term input history of other search terms entered into the search service together with the search term or the auto-completion search term, or based on news or issue information provided by the search service that is related to the search term or the auto-completion search term, or based on information related to the chat room.

[0020] The search results corresponding to the search term include search results that further consider information related to the chat room as search results for the search term or auto-completion search terms of the search term, and the information related to the chat room may include at least one of the following: the theme of the chat room, keywords determined based on messages sent and received in the chat room, or the location of users included in the chat room.

[0021] The method for providing the search service further includes a step of displaying recommended content in the search entry area before the search service is executed and the search term is entered into the search service, wherein the display step may, upon the input of the search term into the search service, display search results corresponding to the search term and the auto-completion search term in the search entry area instead of the recommended content.

[0022] The recommended content is determined based on information related to the chat room, including at least one of the theme of the chat room, keywords determined based on messages sent and received in the chat room, or the location of users included in the chat room. The recommended content may include at least one of location information determined based on the location of users included in the chat room, recommended search terms determined based on the determined keywords, or recommended search terms determined based on the theme of the chat room.

[0023] The recommended content includes participatory content that can be accessed by at least one user included in the chat room, and the participatory content may include game content that can be played by at least one user, a survey that can be accessed by at least one user, or test content that can be accessed by at least one user.

[0024] The search result corresponding to the search term may include a preset type of search result for the category to which the search term belongs.

[0025] In another aspect, there is provided a computer system comprising at least one processor configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory, wherein the at least one processor executes a search service provided in a chat room associated with a messenger application, and displays, in a search entry area, a search result corresponding to a search term input to the search service and at least one automatic completion search term of the search term based on the search term.

[0026] In still another aspect, there is provided a method for providing a search service executed by a server that provides a search service in a chat room associated with a messenger application, the method comprising: providing the search service to a user terminal in association with the chat room in accordance with a request from the user terminal in the chat room; and providing, to the user terminal, a search result corresponding to the search term and the at least one automatic completion search term such that, when the user terminal inputs the search term into the search service, the search result corresponding to the search term and the at least one automatic completion search term of the search term are displayed in the search entry area. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] [Figure 1] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a method for providing a search service in a chat room associated with a messenger application in one embodiment. [Figure 2] Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating a computer system (user terminal) and a server that provide a search service in a chat room associated with a messenger application in one embodiment. [Figure 3]This is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing a search service in a chat room related to a messenger application in one embodiment. [Figure 4] As an example, this flowchart shows how to share search results displayed in the search entry area in a chat room. [Figure 5] As an example, this diagram shows how to share search results displayed in the search entry area within a chat room. [Figure 6] This diagram illustrates how search results and content are displayed in the search entry area. [Figure 7] This diagram illustrates how search results and content are displayed in the search entry area. [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates how search results and content are displayed in the search entry area. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0028] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. The same reference numerals shown in each drawing indicate the same parts.

[0029] Figure 1 illustrates a method for providing a search service in a chat room associated with a messenger application, according to one embodiment.

[0030] Figure 1 shows the screen of a computer system 110 running a messenger application. The computer system 110 may be, for example, a mobile user terminal such as a smartphone, or a computing device such as a PC.

[0031] A messenger application may be a program or application used by users to exchange messages and content. A messenger application may be installed on a computer system 110, which may correspond to a user's mobile device or PC. In other words, a messenger application may be a computer program for a mobile device or a PC.

[0032] Users of computer system 110 can exchange messages with other users and send content to other users in chat rooms provided by such messenger applications by running such messenger applications. Such messaging services may be provided to computer system 110 from a messaging service provider server 130 which is configured within the computer system.

[0033] Furthermore, the messenger application may provide a search function (search service) in conjunction with a search engine. The search service may be provided in a chat room associated with the messenger application. For example, a user of computer system 110 may perform such a search service using the user interface provided in the chat room. Computer system 110 can perform the search service without closing the messenger application or leaving the chat room (or without any action to cause the messenger application to run in the background). Each user participating in the chat room can obtain the desired search results for a search term by entering the search term into such a search service. Such a search service may be provided to computer system 110 from a search service provider server 120, which is composed of computer systems. Here, the search term may consist of at least one keyword (or word) or a part thereof.

[0034] As shown in the diagram, the messaging service server 130 and the search service server 120 may be implemented on separate computer systems or on a single server 150. Furthermore, the messaging service server 130 and the search service server 120 may each be implemented on multiple computer systems. For the purposes of the following detailed explanation, the messaging service server 130 and / or the search service server 120 will be referred to as server 150.

[0035] In the computer system 110 screen shown in Figure 1, the search service provided in the chat room is being executed. The search service may be executed by selecting a search button included in the chat room's message input interface. The search button may be configured, for example, as a magnifying glass icon on the right side of the message input window, as shown in Figure 5.

[0036] When the search function is executed, a search entry area 115 may be displayed on the screen of the computer system 110. The search entry area 115 may be overlaid on the chat room by the execution of the search service. In other words, even when the search entry area 115 is displayed, at least some of the messages sent and received in the chat room can be identified. The search entry area 115 may be displayed above the virtual keyboard used to enter messages and search terms.

[0037] The search entry area 115 may include a first area 117 for entering a search term for the search service and a second area 116 for displaying auto-completed search terms. In this embodiment, the second area 116 may display not only at least one auto-completed search term 119 for the search term entered in the first area 117, but also a search result 118 corresponding to the search term entered in the first area 117. As shown in the figure, the search result 118 corresponding to the search term may be displayed at the top of the second area 116, and at least one auto-completed search term 119 may be displayed below it.

[0038] The search results 118 provided in the search entry area 115 may be displayed in the search entry area 115 when a search term is entered in the first area 117, even without a search request to the search service using the search term (for example, the "return (or enter)" key on the virtual keyboard being touched after the search term has been entered). The search results corresponding to such a search term may include a portion of the search results for the entered search term, or a portion of the search results for a first auto-completion search term of the entered search term.

[0039] For example, as shown in the figure, if "AAA image" is entered into the first area 117, even if the "return (or enter)" key on the virtual keyboard is not touched, at least one image (i.e., an image thumbnail) corresponding to the search results for "AAA image" from the search engine may be displayed in the search entry area 115. Alternatively, even if an incomplete search term such as "AAA ima" is entered, contrary to what is shown in the figure, at least one image corresponding to the search results for "AAA image," which is an auto-completion search term for the search term "AAA ima," may be displayed.

[0040] In this case, the computer system 110 may provide search results in a predetermined default order related to the entered search term. Here, "AAA" may be a person category, in which case the server 120 or 150 or the computer system 110 may be predefined to prioritize providing image search results when the search term corresponds to a person category. In this case, even if the computer system 110 has only entered "AAA" in the first area 117, at least one image corresponding to the search result for "AAA image" may be displayed in the search entry area 115 (because it is defined to prioritize providing images as search result 118).

[0041] Thus, in this embodiment, when a search term is entered in the first area 117, the computer system 110 does not only provide the auto-completion search term 119 to the search entry area 115, but can also provide search results 118 that are suitable for the entered search term. The computer system 110 can share the provided search results 118 within the chat room according to the user's selection.

[0042] Therefore, in this embodiment, the convenience and effectiveness of the search service provided in the chat room can be maximized.

[0043] The specific configuration and operation of the computer system 110 and server 150 that provide the search service in this embodiment, and the specific method of providing the search service in relation to the chat room, will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 2 to 8.

[0044] Figure 2 shows a computer system (user terminal) and server that provide a search service in a chat room related to a messenger application in one embodiment.

[0045] The computer system 110 shown in the figure may correspond to the user terminal described with reference to Figure 1. In the figure, the computer system 110 is shown as a smartphone and similar devices, but it may also be a PC (personal computer), a laptop computer, a tablet, an Internet of Things (Internet of Things) device, or a wearable computer.

[0046] Computer system 110 may be a client to server 150.

[0047] Server 150 may be a server that provides messaging services and / or search services through a messenger application. Server 150 that provides search services may provide search results to computer system 110 for search terms received from computer system 110, based on a search engine. Server 150 may be implemented on at least one computer system and may be located remotely from computer system 110. Server 150 may communicate with computer system 110 via a wireless (or wired) network 170.

[0048] The computer system 110 and server 150 may include memory 211, 221, processors 212, 222, communication modules 213, 223, and input / output interfaces 214, 224.

[0049] The memories 211 and 221 are non-temporary computer-readable recording media and may include persistent mass storage devices such as RAM (random access memory), ROM (read-only memory), disk drives, SSDs (solid-state drives), and flash memory. Here, persistent mass storage devices such as ROM, SSDs, flash memory, and disk drives may be included in the computer system 110 or server 150 as separate persistent storage devices distinct from the memories 211 and 221. The memories 211 and 221 may also store an operating system and at least one program code (for example, code for a browser installed and executed on the computer system 110, or code for an application installed on the computer system 110 to provide a specific service). Such software components may be loaded from a computer-readable recording medium separate from the memories 211 and 221. Such a separate computer-readable recording medium may include computer-readable recording media such as floppy disks, disks, tapes, DVD / CD-ROM drives, and memory cards. In other embodiments, software components may be loaded into memories 211, 221 via communication modules 213, 223 that are not computer-readable recording media. For example, at least one program may be loaded into memories 211, 221 based on a computer program (for example, the application described above) that is installed by a file provided over the network 170 by a file distribution system (for example, the server 150 described above) that distributes installation files for a developer or application.

[0050] Processors 212 and 222 may be configured to process computer program instructions by performing basic arithmetic, logic, and input / output operations. Instructions may be provided to processors 212 and 222 by memory 211 and 221 or by communication modules 213 and 223. For example, processors 212 and 222 may be configured to execute instructions received according to program code recorded in a recording device such as memory 211 and 221.

[0051] Communication modules 213 and 223 may provide functions for the computer system 110 and the server 150 to communicate with each other via the network 170, and may also provide functions for the computer system 110 and / or the server 150 to communicate with other electronic devices and / or other servers. For example, a request generated by the processor 212 of the computer system 110 according to program code recorded in a recording device such as memory 211 may be transmitted to the server 150 via the network 170 under the control of the communication module 213. Conversely, control signals, instructions, content, files, etc., provided under the control of the processor 222 of the server 150 may be received by the computer system 110 through the communication module 223 and the network 170 via the communication module 213 of the computer system 110. For example, control signals, instructions, content, files, etc., from the server 150 received through the communication module 213 may be transmitted to the processor 212 and memory 211, and the content, files, etc., may be recorded on a recording medium (the persistent recording device described above) that the computer system 110 may further include.

[0052] The input / output interface 214 may be a means for interface with an input / output device 215. For example, an input device may include a keyboard, mouse, microphone, camera, etc., and an output device may include a display, speaker, haptic feedback device, etc. As another example, the input / output interface 214 may be a means for interface with a device that integrates input and output functions into one, such as a touchscreen. The input / output device 215 may consist of the computer system 110 and one device. Also, the input / output interface 224 of the server 150 may be a means for interface with an input or output device (not shown) that connects to or may include in the server 150. As a more specific example, a service screen or content configured using data provided by the server 150 or other electronic devices may be displayed on the display via the input / output interface 214 when the processor 212 of the computer system 110 processes instructions for a computer program loaded into memory 211.

[0053] Furthermore, in other embodiments, the computer system 110 and server 150 may include more components than those shown in Figure 2. However, it is not necessary to explicitly show most of the conventional components in the figure. For example, the computer system 110 may be implemented to include at least some of the input / output devices 215 described above, and may further include other components such as transceivers, GPS (Global Positioning System) modules, cameras, various sensors, and databases. As a more specific example, if the computer system 110 is a smartphone, the computer system 110 may be implemented to further include various components that are generally included in smartphones, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, camera modules, various physical buttons, touch panel buttons, input / output ports, and vibrators for vibration.

[0054] For example, the computer system 110 may output search terms and messages entered by the user from the display device, which is the output device, and may also output search results for the search terms. The display device may include a touchscreen. The user of the computer system 110 may use the touchscreen to input messages to be output to the chat room or to input search terms for the search service provided in the chat room. In other words, the display device may be configured to include the functions of an input device. The display device may include a virtual keyboard used for inputting search terms and messages.

[0055] The method for providing a search service in a chat room associated with the messenger application, as described below, may be performed by processors 212 and 222. A more detailed explanation of the method for providing a search service in a chat room associated with the messenger application, as well as a more detailed description of the operation and functions of computer system 110 and server 150, will be provided with reference to Figures 3-8.

[0056] The technical features described above with reference to Figure 1 are directly applicable to Figure 2 as well, so redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0057] In the following detailed description, the functions and / or operations performed by the computer system 110 (or user terminals and clients) and its configuration, or by the server 150 and its configuration, will be described, for the sake of clarity, as if they were performed by the computer system 110 or server 150, rather than by the respective configurations.

[0058] Furthermore, the server 150 may perform at least a portion of the operations and calculations performed by the computer system 110, as described below, or conversely, the computer system 110 may perform at least a portion of the operations and calculations performed by the server 150.

[0059] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing a search service in a chat room associated with a messenger application in one embodiment.

[0060] In step 310, computer system 110 may perform a search service provided in a chat room associated with the messenger application. For example, a user of computer system 110 may request server 150 to perform a search service by selecting a search button included in the chat room's message input interface. Server 150 may provide a search service to computer system 110 in connection with the chat room, in accordance with the request from computer system 110 in the chat room. A search service may mean that a search engine provides search results for an entered search term. The search results provided by the search service may include web documents related to the search term, images related to the search term, videos related to the search term, movie information related to the search term, TV program information related to the search term, location information related to the search term (e.g., restaurant information, landmark information, etc.), official account information related to the search term (e.g., advertising information and event information from advertisers corresponding to the official account, etc.), and person information related to the search term (e.g., influencer information, etc.). In other words, the search service may provide content from a variety of categories (or domains) for the entered search term as search results.

[0061] In step 320, the computer system 110 may receive a search term from the user in the executed search service. The search term may be entered into the search term input window (first area) 117 contained in the search entry area 115, as described with reference to Figure 1. After the user has finished entering the search term, the query corresponding to the search term may be sent to the server 150 by touching the "return (or enter)" key on the virtual keyboard of the computer system 110, and the server 150 may obtain the search results for the corresponding search term and provide them to the computer system 110.

[0062] In step 330, the computer system 110 may display the search results 118 corresponding to the search term and at least one auto-completion search term 119 for the search term in the search entry area 115, based on the search term entered into the search service in step 320. The search results 118 and auto-completion search term 119 may be provided by the server 150. The computer system 110 may display (provide) the search results 118 and auto-completion search term 119 in the search entry area 115 even without a search request from the user to the search service for displaying search results for the search term (for example, touching the "return (or enter)" key on the virtual keyboard of the computer system 110 as described above). In other words, even if the user does not input an individual search request or search command, the computer system 110 may provide the search results 118 and auto-completion search terms 119 corresponding to the search term entered in the search term input window (first area) 117 in real time (or near real time) in the search entry area 115.

[0063] As shown in Figure 1, each of the auto-completion search terms 119 may be displayed with a distinction between the part that matches the entered search term and the part that does not.

[0064] The "search results corresponding to the search term" displayed in the search entry area 115 may include a portion of the search results for the search term (i.e., the search results output when the relevant search term is entered into the search engine), or a portion of the search results for the first auto-completion search term of the search term (i.e., the search results output when the relevant first auto-completion search term is entered into the search engine).

[0065] For example, as shown in Figure 1, if the search term entered in the first area 117 is "AAA image", the search results 118 displayed in the search entry area 115 may include multiple images as search results for the image category (or domain) for "AAA". A predetermined number of images may be provided in the second area 116 as part of the search results 118. Images may be scrolled within the second area 116, for example, by swiping horizontally. The images displayed in the search results 118 may be ranked according to their relevance to the search term entered in the first area 117 (e.g., "AAA").

[0066] The search results 118 are not limited to images and may include at least one of the following diverse categories (or domains): images related to the search term, videos related to the search term, movie information related to the search term, TV program information related to the search term, location information related to the search term (e.g., restaurant information or landmark information), official account information related to the search term (e.g., advertising information or event information from advertisers corresponding to the official account), or person information related to the search term (e.g., influencer information). The search results 118 displayed in the search entry area 115 may not be the content or search result itself, but rather a thumbnail of the content or search result.

[0067] For example, if a search term such as "AAA images" is entered, search result 118 will include images related to "AAA"; if a search term such as "AAA videos" is entered, search result 118 will include videos related to "AAA"; if a search term such as "AAA movies" is entered, search result 118 will include movie information related to "AAA"; if a search term such as "AAA restaurants" is entered, search result 118 will include restaurant information as location information related to "AAA"; if a search term such as "AAA official accounts / OA" is entered, search result 118 will include advertising and event information related to "AAA"; and if a search term such as "AAA Instagram / blog / mini homepage / Facebook / SNS / YouTube" is entered, search result 118 will include content provided on "AAA's" Instagram (registered trademark), blog, mini homepage, Facebook (registered trademark), SNS, and YouTube (registered trademark) as person information related to "AAA".

[0068] On the other hand, even if the search term entered in the first area 117 is incomplete (i.e., if the entered search term is an incomplete search term (incomplete query)), the computer system 110 may display the search result 118 and at least one auto-completion search term 119 in the search entry area 115, as described above. In this case, the server 150 may determine whether the entered search term is an incomplete search term (incomplete query) and may determine the most appropriate auto-completion search term (for example, the first auto-completion search term described above) for the incomplete query. The server 150 may display the search result for the determined first auto-completion search term in the search entry area 115. For example, even if the search term entered in the first area 117 is an incomplete query such as "AAA ima", the computer system 110 may display at least one image in the search entry area 115 that corresponds to the search result for "AAA image", which is the first auto-completion search term for "AAA ima".

[0069] The first auto-completion search term may be determined based on the user's search term input history for the search service. Server 150 may infer the first auto-completion search term for an incomplete query entered by computer system 110 by referring to the search term input history of computer system 110 users or one or more other users. For example, Server 150 may refer to the search term input history of computer system 110 users or one or more other users to determine the first auto-completion search term as the search term that best matches the incomplete query entered by computer system 110, or the search term that contains the incomplete query and is entered most frequently.

[0070] If there is little or no history of users of the computer system 110 entering a specific search term (e.g., "AAA image"), the search results 118 may be provided in the search entry area 115 only if the entire specific search term is entered in the first area 117. If there is sufficient history of users of the computer system 110 entering a specific search term (e.g., "AAA image"), the search results 118 may be provided in the search entry area 115 even if only a portion of the specific search term is entered in the first area 117.

[0071] For example, for the search term "AAA" or related search terms, a priority order may be set for the types of search results (categories or domains) provided by the server 150 or computer system 110. As an example, if "AAA" is a search term belonging to the people category, the computer system 110 may provide search results 118 including images as the first priority in the search entry area 115.

[0072] If the search term entered in the first area 117 is "AAA", then at least one auto-completion search term 119, "AAA image", may be preferentially displayed (for example, at the top) in the search entry area 115. In addition, search results 118 including an image may be displayed in the search entry area 115 simultaneously with the auto-completion search term "AAA image".

[0073] In this way, the computer system 110 can display in the search entry area 115 a search result of a type pre-set for the category to which the entered search term belongs.

[0074] The categories to which the search term belongs (for example, people, movies, TV shows, places, sports, etc.) may be predefined in the computer system 110 or server 150. Furthermore, the computer system 110 or server 150 may predefine which types of search results 118 to display in the search entry area 115, and which auto-completion search terms 119 to display in the search entry area 115 for each search term, depending on the category to which the search term belongs.

[0075] For example, when computer system 110 inputs the search term "AAA", server 150 may identify the category to which the search term "AAA" belongs, even before any additional content such as "ima..." is entered. This allows server 150 to determine the type of search result 118 corresponding to the search term "AAA" and display it in the search entry area 115. Similarly, server 150 may determine at least one auto-completion search term 119 for "AAA" based on the category to which "AAA" belongs and display it in the search entry area 115. As an example, if the entered search term belongs to the "People" category, the search result 118 displayed in the search entry area 115 may include images, and if the entered search term belongs to the "Sports" category, the search result 118 displayed in the search entry area 115 may include videos.

[0076] The type of search result 118 displayed in the search entry area 115 may be pre-set (defined) for the entered search term itself (not the category of the search term). In such cases, the server 150 (or computer system 110) that determines the category of the search term does not need to perform any action.

[0077] The type of search result 118 displayed in the search entry area 115 based on a search term (or category of search term) may be determined based on past search history for that search term (or category of search term) in the search service. For example, the type of search result that has been most frequently selected for the search term (or category of search term) or the type of search result that is most frequently displayed in the search service may be determined as the type of search result 118 displayed in the search entry area 115. The search history used to determine the type of search result 118 displayed in the search entry area 115 may be the search history of an individual user of the computer system 110. Alternatively, such search history may include the search histories of a large number of users of the search service.

[0078] On the other hand, the category of a search term may be determined based on at least one of the following: the search history in the search service, information predefined in the server 150 or computer system 110, and the results of parsing web documents (e.g., news articles) that contain the words that make up the search term.

[0079] As a result, in this embodiment, when entering a search term, the search results 118 that are appropriate for the search term and the category to which the search term belongs can be displayed in the search entry area 115 without having to specifically specify the type of search result (such as a domain or category) that the user wants to obtain from the search term.

[0080] Therefore, in this embodiment, the convenience of using the search service can be improved.

[0081] As explained with reference to Figure 1, the search entry area 115 may be displayed as an overlay in the chat room when the chat room performs a search service. The search entry area 115 may be displayed with a predetermined transparency (in order to minimize interference with the display of messages sent and received in the chat room), contrary to what is shown in the figure. The search entry area 115 may consist of a first area 117 for entering a search term and a second area 116 for displaying search results 118 and auto-completion search terms 119 corresponding to the search term. As shown in Figure 1, the search results 118 corresponding to the search term may be displayed at the top of the second area 116, and the auto-completion search terms 119 may be displayed below the search results 118. Contrary to what is shown in the figure, in some embodiments, the search entry area 115 may be located at the top or right (or left) of the screen of the computer system 110.

[0082] On the other hand, the computer system 110 may display updated search results corresponding to the changed search terms and at least one updated auto-completion search term for the changed search terms in the search entry area 115 as the search terms entered into the search service (i.e., the search terms entered in the first area 117) change. In other words, the computer system 110 may adaptively update the search results and auto-completion search terms displayed in the search entry area 115 in real time (or near real time) in response to the search terms that change due to input. For example, if "AAA image" is entered as the search term, a general image of "AAA" (an image corresponding to the search results in the image category) will be displayed in the search entry area 115, and if the search terms are changed to "XAA image" and "AAA image background" due to additional input, the search results corresponding to the changed search terms may be displayed in the search entry area 115 as updated search results.

[0083] In step 342, the computer system 110 may share selected search results 118 corresponding to the search term displayed in the search entry area 115 in the chat room. The computer system 110 may share the search results 118 displayed in the search entry area 115 that the user has selected (for example, by touching the image / content to be shared) in the chat room. The method of sharing search results 118 in the chat room will be explained in more detail with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

[0084] In step 344, the computer system 110 may provide search results for the selected auto-completed search term 119 upon receiving a selection for the auto-completed search term 119 displayed in the search entry area 115. For example, if a user touches one of the auto-completed search terms 119 displayed in the search entry area 115, the computer system 110 may be provided with search results for the auto-completed search term selected by the search engine of the search service accordingly. The search results may be displayed as an overlay in the messenger application (e.g., a chat room) in the form of a pop-up window. The pop-up window displaying the search results may provide a user interface (e.g., a share button) for sharing the search results within the chat room, and the search results may be shared in the chat room when such a user interface is selected.

[0085] On the other hand, the computer system 110 may display search results for a search term in accordance with a search request for a search term entered by the user. For example, if the "return (or enter)" key is touched on the virtual keyboard after a search term has been entered, the computer system 110 may display search results for the search term provided by the search service's search engine. The search results may be displayed as an overlay in the messenger application (e.g., a chat room) in the form of a pop-up window. The pop-up window displaying the search results may provide a user interface (e.g., a share button) for sharing the search results within the chat room, and the search results may be shared in the chat room by selecting such a user interface.

[0086] In addition, in the embodiment, in step 315, before the computer system 110 executes the search service and a search term is entered into the search service (i.e., into the first area 117), recommended content may be displayed in the search entry area 115. The displayed recommended content may be provided by the server 150. That is, in the embodiment, before a search term is entered, content that is likely to be of interest to the user may be displayed in the search entry area 115. The computer system 110 may, at the user's selection, provide detailed information about the recommended content in a pop-up window. The pop-up window may be displayed as an overlay in a messenger application (e.g., a chat room). The pop-up window may provide a user interface (e.g., a share button) for sharing the relevant recommended content (or its detailed information) within the chat room, and by selecting such a user interface, the recommended content (or its detailed information) may be shared in the chat room.

[0087] When a search term is entered into the search service (i.e., into the first area 117), the computer system 110 may display the search results 118 and auto-completion search terms 119 corresponding to the search term in the search entry area 115, instead of recommended content.

[0088] The specific method for providing recommended content in the search entry area 115 will be explained in more detail with reference to Figure 7.

[0089] The technical features described above with reference to Figures 1 and 2 are directly applicable to Figure 3, so redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0090] The following explains how to share the search results selected by the user from the search results 118 displayed in the search entry area 115 in the chat room, referring to Figures 4 and 5.

[0091] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating, as an example, how to share search results displayed in the search entry area in a chat room. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating, as an example, how to share search results displayed in the search entry area in a chat room. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the screen of the messenger application running on the computer system 110 described above.

[0092] In step 410, the computer system 110 may receive a selection for at least one piece of content from the search results 118 corresponding to the search term (entered into the first area 117). For example, the user may select (touch) at least one image (thumbnail) from the images displayed as search results 118 that they wish to share in the chat room.

[0093] At step 420, the computer system 110 may identify the selected content as shared content 510. The server 150 may identify, through communication with the computer system 110, that the selected content has become shared content 510.

[0094] In step 430, the computer system 110 may display the shared content 510 separately from other content in the search results 118 corresponding to the search term. That is, the shared content 510 may be visually distinguished from the remaining content included in the search results 118. For example, the shared content 510 may be displayed in a darker color than the other content. The shared content 510 may also be displayed with an indicator 520 as shown in the figure. The indicator 520 may be an image of a paper airplane, as shown in the figure. This allows the user to easily identify the shared content 510 by the indicator 520.

[0095] At stage 440, the computer system 110 may receive a selection for the categorized shared content 510. For example, a user may select the shared content 510 by touching the shared content 510 or by touching the indicator 520.

[0096] At stage 450, the computer system 110 may share the selected shared content 510 in the chat room upon receiving a selection for the categorized shared content 510.

[0097] An example of content 530 shared in the chat room is shown in Figure 5.

[0098] According to the embodiment, when a user of the computer system 110 touches an image they wish to share from among the images included in the search results 118 displayed in the search entry area 115, the touched image is identified as the shareable image 510 and displayed separately. The user can share the shareable image 510 in a chat room by touching the shareable image 510 again (or by touching the indicator 520). The shared content 530 may be displayed in the chat room in the form of a message.

[0099] The technical features described above with reference to Figures 1-3 are directly applicable to Figures 4 and 5, so redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0100] Figures 6-8 illustrate an example of how search results and content can be displayed in the search entry area.

[0101] As described above, the search results 118 corresponding to the search term provided in the search entry area 115 may be provided by the server 150.

[0102] Server 150, which provides the search service, may model the search results for the input search terms and / or automatically completed search terms for the relevant search terms. That is, the search terms and the search results corresponding to the relevant search terms may be indexed by Server 150. The search results and the indexed search terms may be combinations of keywords. The database associated with Server 150 may store information about the search results mapped (or indexed) to each search term for each search term.

[0103] Server 150 may provide computer system 110 with at least a portion of such modeled search results as search results displayed in the search entry area 115. For example, the search result 118 corresponding to the search term displayed in the search entry area 115 may be a preview of the search results modeled by server 150 for the relevant search term.

[0104] Thus, the search results 118 corresponding to the search term entered in the first area 117 described above may include search results modeled by the server 150 providing the search service as search results for the relevant search term or an auto-completion search term.

[0105] In this regard, Figure 6 shows, as an example, a method of displaying content 610-640 as search results 118 (corresponding to the modeled search results) and automatically completed search terms for the entered search term in the search entry area 115.

[0106] As shown in the figure, the search result 118 corresponding to the entered search term "BBB" may include at least one link to various messenger service information as location information, such as restaurant information 610, movie information 620, person information 630 (influencer information), or official account information 640. The search entry area 115 may display search results 118 that belong to a specific category among various categories (domains), or it may display search results 118 that belong to two or more categories (domains).

[0107] The categories of the search results 118 displayed in the search entry area 115 may be determined based on the attributes of the entered search term and / or information related to the chat room.

[0108] In relation to the attributes of the search term, for example, if the search term includes keywords indicating a specific category such as "image" or "video," search results 118 corresponding to that category may be displayed in the search entry area 115. Alternatively, if the entered search term has a common meaning, the server 150 may refer to the search term input history to determine the meaning of the entered search term (for example, as the meaning corresponding to the search results selected more frequently), and may display search results related to that meaning (for example, movie title, place name, person name, company name, etc.) as search results 118 corresponding to the search term in the search entry area 115.

[0109] In relation to information related to a chat room, the search result 118 corresponding to the search term may include search results that further consider information related to the chat room as a search result for the search term or its auto-completion search term. In this case, "chat room" may mean the chat room in which the search service was performed. Information related to a chat room may include at least one of the following: the theme of the chat room, keywords determined based on messages sent and received in the chat room, or the location of users participating in the chat room.

[0110] If the chat room is an open chat room or a group chat room, the theme of the chat room may be set by the chat room creator when the chat room is created. Alternatively, the theme of the chat room may be determined from the chat room title, or by analyzing keywords contained in messages sent and received in the chat room. For example, if the messages sent and received in the chat room are about "Singer A", then "Singer A" may be determined as the theme of the chat room. In this case, the determination of the chat room theme may be performed by the server 150. The search results 119 displayed in the search entry area 115 may further reflect the theme of such a chat room. For example, if the entered search term is "Image A" and the theme of the chat room is Singer A, then the search results 119 displayed in the search entry area 115 may include images of Singer A. Also, if the messages sent and received in the chat room are about "Sports" and "Baseball", then "Baseball" may be determined as the theme of the chat room. In this case, the search results 118 displayed in the search entry area 115 may provide a live viewing screen being broadcast at a specific point in time.

[0111] Furthermore, the search results 119 displayed in the search entry area 115 may further reflect keywords determined based on messages sent and received in the chat room. For example, if an analysis of the frequency of keywords included in messages sent and received in the chat room determines that a singer or music is being discussed in the chat room, the search results 119 for the entered search term "Image A" may include images of singer A. Alternatively, the search results 119 may reflect the content of messages sent or received immediately before the search service is executed. For example, if the messages sent or received immediately before the search service is executed are about "restaurants," then information about restaurants related to the entered search term (i.e., restaurant information) may be provided as search results 119.

[0112] Furthermore, the search results 119 displayed in the search entry area 115 may also reflect the location of the user participating in the chat room. For example, if the location of a user participating in the chat room (for example, the user who performed the search service) is "Gangnam-gu" and the entered search term is "A", then information about a place (such as a restaurant) A located in Gangnam-gu may be provided as the search result 119 (i.e., location information within the administrative district where the user is located is provided as the search result 119). Alternatively, information about a place (such as a restaurant) A located near the user's location may be provided as the search result 119.

[0113] Furthermore, the search results 119 displayed in the search entry area 115 may further reflect information about the user who performed the search service. User information may include at least one of the following: user interest information, user age information, or user location information, either set in advance by the user or obtained from the user's search term input history or search result selection history. Therefore, the search entry area 115 may provide search results 119 that are more relevant to the user who performed the search service.

[0114] Furthermore, the search results 119 displayed in the search entry area 115 may further reflect issue information in the search service. Issue information may include themes that are currently on issue in the search service. Issue information may be determined based on search terms entered by the user into the search service and / or search results selected by the user within a predetermined period. Alternatively, issue information may be determined based on news (breaking news, most viewed news, etc.). Alternatively, issue information may be determined based on trending search terms, hot topic keywords, etc. Therefore, search results 119 that appropriately reflect current issues can be provided in the search entry area 115.

[0115] On the other hand, the search results 118 displayed in the search entry area 115 (search results modeled by the server 150) may include search results for search terms that are combinations of search terms different from the search terms entered in the first area 117 or the auto-completion search terms. The other search terms are not search terms entered by the user of the computer system 110, but may be search terms that the server 150 takes into consideration when providing the search results 118.

[0116] Such other search terms may be determined based on the search term input history of other search terms entered by the user (a user of computer system 110 or one or more other users using the search service) along with the relevant search term or its auto-completion search term. For example, a search term that has a history of being entered in combination with a search term by a user of computer system 110 (or has been entered more than a predetermined frequency) may be determined as such other search terms, or a search term that has been entered in combination with a search term by other users at a high frequency (or has been entered more than a predetermined frequency) may be determined as such other search terms. For example, if, as a result of analyzing the search term input history, the server 150 finds that "singer" is frequently entered together with "AAA" as a search term, it may determine "singer" as such as such other search terms, and even if only "AAA" is entered as a search term, the search results for "AAA singer" may be displayed in the search entry area 115.

[0117] Alternatively, the other search terms may be determined based on news related to the entered search term or its auto-completion search terms (e.g., breaking news, most viewed news, etc.) or issue information provided by the search service. Regarding issue information, the same principles apply as described above, so redundant explanations are omitted. For example, server 150 may analyze news and / or issue information related to the entered search term "AAA" and determine a keyword such as "romance rumor" as the other search term based on the analysis. In this case, server 150 may display search results for "AAA romance rumor" in the search entry area 115 even if only "AAA" is entered as the search term. Alternatively, the other search terms may be determined based on search terms entered by other users to search for news related to the entered search term.

[0118] Alternatively, the aforementioned other search terms may be determined based on information related to the chat room. In this case, the chat room may mean the chat room in which the search service is performed. Information related to the chat room may include at least one of the following: the theme of the chat room, keywords determined based on messages sent and received in the chat room, or the location of users participating in the chat room. The above explanation is equally applicable to information related to the chat room, so redundant explanations are omitted. For example, the aforementioned other search terms may be determined from recommended keywords determined based on information related to the chat room, keywords used more than a certain frequency in messages sent and received in the chat room, keywords included in messages sent and received immediately before the search service is performed, or keywords indicating the theme of the chat room.

[0119] Alternatively, the other search terms may be determined based on information about the user who performed the search service. Since the same information as described above applies to user information, redundant explanations are omitted.

[0120] In this regard, Figure 8 shows a method for providing search results 810 and 820 in the search entry area 115 for search terms that are combinations of search terms different from the search term entered in the first area 117.

[0121] As shown in the figure, the search result 118 corresponding to the entered search term "BBB" may include content 810 that also considers another search term, CCC. In this case, the other search term combined with "BBB" may be "CCC". Content 810 may be, for example, an image that includes both the person "BBB" and the person "CCC" (who is determined to be a person related to "BBB" based on news or issue information).

[0122] Furthermore, the search results 118 corresponding to the entered search term "BBB" may include content 820 related to "BBB" on a specific domain "D". In this case, other search terms combined with "BBB" may be "(category or domain) D".

[0123] Therefore, in this embodiment, search results 119 that appropriately reflect user information, chat rooms, or current issues can be provided in the search entry area 115.

[0124] Below, we will explain in more detail the method of providing recommended content in the search entry area 115, which is step 315 as described above, with reference to Figure 7.

[0125] As described above, the computer system 110 may display recommended content in the search entry area 115 before the search service is executed and a search term is entered into the search service.

[0126] Such recommended content may be determined based on information related to the chat room, including at least one of the following: the chat room's theme, keywords determined based on messages sent and received in the chat room, or the location of users participating in the chat room. The same principles described above apply to information related to the chat room, so redundant explanations are omitted.

[0127] Furthermore, such recommended content may be determined based on the issue information and / or user information described above. Since the same principles apply to issue information and user information as described above, redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0128] For example, the recommended content displayed in the search entry area 115 may include at least one of the following: location information (for example, restaurant information 710) determined based on the location of a user participating in the chat room (for example, a user who performed the search service); recommended search terms (for example, recommended search terms 740) determined based on keywords determined based on messages sent and received in the chat room; or recommended search terms determined based on the theme of the chat room. The recommended search terms 740 may include a predetermined number of search terms that rank highly among the real-time search terms in the search service, or hot issue search terms.

[0129] For example, recommended content may include information about locations near the user's location (e.g., restaurant information) or recommended search terms related to the location, based on the known user location. The locations to be recommended may be determined by server 150 and may be locations mentioned or shared by the user more than a certain frequency in a messenger application, or locations mentioned in a TV program.

[0130] Furthermore, recommended content may include content 720 that contains information about a subject that is currently news or an issue.

[0131] Furthermore, recommended content may include personal information based on user interests, such as information about people related to the user (e.g., friends) and influencer information. Personal information may include content provided by the person in question on Instagram®, blogs, mini-homepages, Facebook®, social networking services (SNS), and YouTube®.

[0132] Furthermore, the recommended content may include participatory content 730 that can be accessed by at least one user participating in the chat room (for example, the user who performed the search service). Such participatory content 730 may include game content that users can play, surveys that users can participate in, or test content that users can participate in (for example, a psychological test).

[0133] The interactive content 730 may be executed by the computer system 110 within the chat room or in a pop-up window overlaid on the chat room, according to the user's choice.

[0134] Therefore, in this embodiment, even when the search service is executed but no search term is entered, appropriate recommended content can be provided in the search entry area 115. Through such recommended content, users can obtain hints for their search term, easily grasp what is currently in the news or on issue, or enjoy entertainment in the chat room using the participatory content 730.

[0135] The technical features described above with reference to Figures 1-5 are directly applicable to Figures 6-8, so redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0136] The above-described apparatus may be implemented by hardware components, software components, and / or combinations of hardware and software components. For example, the apparatus and components described in the embodiments may be implemented using one or more general-purpose or special-purpose computers, such as processors, controllers, ALUs (arithmetic logic units), digital signal processors, microcomputers, FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), PLUs (programmable logic units), microprocessors, or various devices capable of executing and responding to instructions. The processing unit may execute an operating system (OS) and one or more software applications running on the OS. The processing unit may also respond to software execution, access data, record, manipulate, process, and generate data. For convenience of understanding, it may be described as if a single processing unit is used, but those skilled in the art will understand that the processing unit may include multiple processing elements and / or multiple types of processing elements. For example, the processing unit may include multiple processors or one processor and one controller. Other processing configurations, such as parallel processors, are also possible.

[0137] Software may include computer programs, code, instructions, or a combination of one or more of these, which may configure a processing unit to operate as desired, or which may instruct the processing unit independently or collectively. Software and / or data may be embodied in any kind of machine, component, physical device, computer recording medium, or device for interpretation based on the processing unit or for providing instructions or data to the processing unit. Software may be distributed across a networked computer system, and may be recorded or executed in a distributed manner. Software and data may be recorded on one or more computer-readable recording media.

[0138] The methods according to the embodiment may be implemented in the form of program instructions executable by various computer means and recorded on a computer-readable medium. Here, the medium may be one that continuously records computer-executable programs or one that temporarily records for execution or download. Furthermore, the medium may be a variety of recording or storage means in the form of one or more hardware combined, and is not limited to a medium directly connected to a computer system, but may be distributed on a network. Examples of mediums include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and ROMs, RAMs, flash memories, etc., which may be configured to record program instructions. Other examples of mediums include recording media or storage media managed by application stores that distribute applications and other sites, servers that supply or distribute various software.

[0139] As described above, embodiments have been explained based on limited embodiments and drawings, but those skilled in the art will be able to make various modifications and variations from the above description. For example, the described technique may be performed in a different order than described, and / or the components of the described system, structure, apparatus, circuit, etc. may be combined or assembled in a different manner than described, or opposed or replaced by other components or equivalents, and still achieve suitable results.

[0140] Therefore, even if the embodiment is different, if it is equivalent to the claims, it falls within the scope of the attached claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0141] 110: Computer Systems 115: Search entry area 116:Second area 117:First area 118: Search Results 119: Auto-completed search terms 120: Search service provider server 130: Messaging service provider server 150: Server 170: Network 211, 221: Memory 212, 222: Processor 213, 223: Communication module 214, 224: Input / Output Interfaces 215: Input / Output Devices 510: Shared content 520: Indicator 530: Shared content 610, 620, 630, 640: Content as search results 710, 720, 730, 740: Recommended Content 810, 820: Content as search results

Claims

1. A method for providing a search service performed by a computer system, The process involves a search service provided in a messenger application and associated chat room, where the search engine provides search results, and The steps include displaying search results corresponding to the search term and at least one auto-completion search term for the search term in the search entry area, based on the search term entered into the search service, The search entry area includes a first area for inputting the search term and a second area for displaying the search results corresponding to the search term. The aforementioned search entry area is displayed as an overlay in the chat room when the search service is executed. How to provide a search service.

2. With the search entry area displayed as an overlay on the chat room, at least a portion of the messages sent and received in the chat room are displayed in an identifiable manner. A method for performing the search service described in claim 1.

3. A method for providing a search service performed by a computer system, The process involves a search service provided in a messenger application and associated chat room, where the search engine provides search results, and The step includes, based on the search term entered into the search service, displaying the search results corresponding to the search term and at least one auto-completion search term for the search term in the search entry area, The search results corresponding to the aforementioned search term include search results of a type predetermined for the category to which the aforementioned search term belongs. The category of the search term is determined based on the results of parsing web documents containing the words included in the search term. How to provide a search service.

4. The display step involves displaying the search results corresponding to the search term and the auto-completion search term in the search entry area, even if the user has not made a search request to the search service using the search term to display the search results for the search term. The search results corresponding to the aforementioned search term are: This includes a portion of the search results for the aforementioned search term or a portion of the search results for the first auto-completion search term for the aforementioned search term. If the aforementioned search term is an incomplete query, The display step involves displaying the search results for the auto-completion search term and the first auto-completion search term in the search entry area. The first auto-completion search term is determined based on the user's search term input history for the search service. A method for providing the search service described in claim 1 or 3.

5. The step of sharing the selected search result in the chat room, which corresponds to the search term displayed in the search entry area. A method for providing the search service according to claim 1 or 3, further comprising:

6. The aforementioned sharing stage is, The step of receiving a selection for at least one piece of content from the search results corresponding to the aforementioned search term, Steps to identify the selected content as content to be shared, The steps include: displaying the shared content separately from other content among the search results corresponding to the search term, and Upon receiving a selection for the categorized and displayed shared content, the selected shared content is shared in the chat room. A method for providing the search service described in claim 5, including the search service described in claim 5.

7. The aforementioned display step is, As the search term entered into the search service changes, the updated search results corresponding to the changing search term and at least one updated auto-completion search term for the changing search term are displayed in the search entry area. A method for providing the search service described in claim 1 or 3.

8. The step of providing search results for the selected auto-completed search term upon receiving a selection for the auto-completed search term displayed in the search entry area. A method for providing the search service according to claim 1 or 3, further comprising:

9. The search results corresponding to the aforementioned search term include search results modeled by the server providing the search service as search results for the aforementioned search term or an automatically completed search term for the aforementioned search term. A method for providing the search service described in claim 1 or 3.

10. The modeled search results include search results for search terms that are combinations of search terms different from the search term or the auto-completion search terms of the search term, The aforementioned different search terms are determined based on the user's search term input history for other search terms entered into the search service along with the aforementioned search term or the auto-completion search term; or based on news or issue information provided by the search service related to the aforementioned search term or the auto-completion search term; or based on information related to the chat room. A method for providing the search service described in claim 9.

11. Before the search service is executed and the search term is entered into the search service, a step is taken to display recommended content in the search entry area. It further includes, The aforementioned display step is, When the search term is entered into the search service, the search results corresponding to the search term and the auto-completion search term are displayed in the search entry area instead of the recommended content. A method for providing the search service described in claim 1 or claim 3.

12. A computer program that causes the computer system to perform the method of providing the search service described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A computer system, At least one processor configured to execute computer-readable instructions contained in memory Includes, The aforementioned at least one processor is A search service provided in a chat room associated with a messenger application is executed, in which a search engine provides search results, and based on the search term entered into the search service, the search results corresponding to the search term and at least one auto-completion search term for the search term are displayed in the search entry area. The search entry area includes a first area for inputting the search term and a second area for displaying the search results corresponding to the search term. The aforementioned search entry area is displayed as an overlay in the chat room when the search service is executed. Computer system.

14. A computer system, At least one processor configured to execute computer-readable instructions contained in memory Includes, The aforementioned at least one processor is A search service provided in a chat room associated with a messenger application is executed, in which a search engine provides search results, and based on the search term entered into the search service, the search results corresponding to the search term and at least one auto-completion search term for the search term are displayed in the search entry area. The search results corresponding to the aforementioned search term include search results of a type predetermined for the category to which the aforementioned search term belongs. The category of the search term is determined based on the results of parsing web documents containing the words included in the search term. Computer system.

15. A method for providing a search service performed by a server that provides a search service in a chat room associated with a messenger application, The steps include: providing the search service to the user terminal in connection with the chat room, in accordance with a request from the user terminal in the chat room, and providing the search service to the user terminal in which the search engine provides search results; and The step of providing the user terminal with the search results corresponding to the search term and the auto-completion search term, so that when the user terminal inputs the search term into the search service, the search results corresponding to the search term and at least one auto-completion search term for the search term are displayed in the search entry area, The search entry area includes a first area for inputting the search term and a second area for displaying the search results corresponding to the search term. The aforementioned search entry area is displayed as an overlay in the chat room when the search service is executed. How to provide a search service.

16. A method for providing a search service performed by a server that provides a search service in a chat room associated with a messenger application, The steps include: providing the search service to the user terminal in connection with the chat room, in accordance with a request from the user terminal in the chat room, and providing the search service to the user terminal in which the search engine provides search results; and The step of providing the user terminal with the search results corresponding to the search term and the auto-completion search term, so that when the user terminal inputs the search term into the search service, the search results corresponding to the search term and at least one auto-completion search term for the search term are displayed in the search entry area, The search results corresponding to the aforementioned search term include search results of a type predetermined for the category to which the aforementioned search term belongs. The category of the search term is determined based on the results of parsing web documents containing the words included in the search term. How to provide a search service.

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