Patent Publication Number: US-2017364585-A1

Title: Search service providing device, method, and computer program

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §365(c) from, PCT International Application No. PCT/KR2016/004037 which has an International filing date of Apr. 19, 2016, which designates the United States of America, and which claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2015-0084329 filed on Jun. 15, 2015, the contents of both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     Some example embodiments relate to a search service providing device, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program. 
     BACKGROUND 
     With the development of information and communication technology and technology related to electronic apparatuses, various types of information are acquired via a method of accessing a portal site or using a search application by using an electronic apparatus, such as a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a smart phone connected to a communication network, such as the Internet. 
     However, since a vast amount of data exists in the communication network, such as the Internet, a user using an information search function may have to do several searches a number of times to obtain particular desired information. 
     In addition, since it is generally difficult for the user using the information search function to have all relevant knowledge about various professional fields, the user may not accurately know which question may solve his/her problem or satisfy his/her curiosity. 
     Information disclosed in this Background section may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known to the public. 
     Provided are a search service providing device, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program, which determine one or more additional search words from an initial search word received from a user and provide additional search results for the additional search words together with an initial search result for the initial search word. 
     Provided are a search service providing device, method and non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program, which determine rankings of additional search words and provide an additional search result for at least one additional search word together with an initial search result for an initial search word in consideration of the determined rankings. 
     Provided are a search service providing device, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program, which determine additional search words capable of providing a useful search result to a user from an initial search word received from the user. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to some example embodiments, a search service providing method of providing search results related to a search word performed by a search service providing device. The search service providing method includes receiving, by the search service providing device, an initial search word. The search service providing method further includes determining, by the search service providing device, one or more additional search words based on the initial search word. The search service providing method further includes ranking, by the search service providing device, the one or more additional search words. The search service providing method further includes selecting, by the search service providing device, at least one related search word from among the one or more additional search words based on the ranking. Furthermore, the search service providing method includes providing, by the search service providing device, additional search results corresponding to the at least one related search word, the initial search word, an initial search result corresponding to the initial search word, and the one or more additional search words. 
     Such an aspect may be executed by using a system, method, non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program, or a combination of the system, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program. 
     According to some example embodiments, a search service providing device providing search results related to a search word, the search service providing device includes: an input receiver configured to receive an initial search word. The search service providing device also includes a controller configured to determine one or more additional search words based on the initial search word, determine rankings of the one or more additional search words, select at least one related search word from among the one or more additional search words based on the rankings, and provide additional search results corresponding to the at least one related search word, the initial search word, an initial search result corresponding to the initial search word, and the one or more additional search words. 
     These and/or other aspects will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of some example embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     According to some example embodiments, a search service providing device, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program, which determine one or more additional search words from an initial search word received from a user and provide additional search results for the additional search words together with an initial search result for the initial search word, may be provided. 
     Also, a search service providing device, method and non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program, which determine rankings of additional search words and provide an additional search result for at least one additional search word together with an initial search result for an initial search word in consideration of the determined rankings, may be provided 
     Also, a search service providing device, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program, which determine additional search words capable of providing a useful search result to a user from an initial search word received from the user, may be provided. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a structure of a search service providing system according to some example embodiments. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of a structure of a search service providing system contained with a user terminal according to some example embodiments. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic block diagram of an internal structure of the search service providing system of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIGS. 4, 5A and 5B  (hereinafter  FIGS. 5A and 5B  are referred to collectively as  FIG. 5 ) are schematic diagrams of examples of search data being provided by a search service providing device, according to some example embodiments. 
         FIG. 6  is a flowchart of a search service providing method according to some example embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to some example embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In this regard, some example embodiments may have different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the descriptions set forth herein. Accordingly, some example embodiments are merely described below, by referring to the figures, to explain aspects of some example embodiments. While such terms as “first”, “second”, etc., may be used to describe various components, such components must not be limited to the above terms. The above terms are used only to distinguish one component from another. An expression used in the singular encompasses the expression of the plural, unless it has a clearly different meaning in the context. In the present specification, it is to be understood that terms such as “including” or “having,” etc., are intended to indicate the existence of features or components, and are not intended to preclude the possibility that one or more other features or components may exist or may be added. In the drawings, for convenience of description, sizes of components may be exaggerated for clarity. For example, since sizes and thicknesses of components in drawings are arbitrarily shown for convenience of description, the sizes and thicknesses are not limited thereto. 
     Hereinafter, some example embodiments will be described below in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those components that are the same or are in correspondence are rendered the same reference numeral regardless of the figure number, and redundant explanations are omitted. 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a structure of a search service providing system according to some example embodiments. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a search service providing system  10  according to some example embodiments may include a search service providing device  100 , a user terminal  200 , and a communication network  300 . 
     The search service providing device  100  may be a device receiving a search word from a user and providing a search result to the user. In detail, the search service providing device  100  may be a device that receives an initial search word from the user terminal  200  through the communication network  300 , and provides an initial search result for the initial search word to the user terminal  200 . Here, the search service providing device  100  may be a server that stores a massive amount of information that may be provided as search results. In this case, although one search service providing device  100  is shown in  FIG. 1 , a plurality of devices may exist and be connected in a wired/wireless communication manner according to traffic or an amount of information. 
     In some example embodiments, information may denote data, such as a text message, a drawing, a photograph, a video, an electronic document, or an electronic signal, which is exchangeable between electronic devices via electricity, radio waves, or other different other electronic materials or physical quantities, in a wired/wireless communication environment. 
     The search service providing device  100  according to some example embodiments may provide a useful and wide range of information to the user by determining one or more additional search words based on the initial search word received from the user, determining rankings of the one or more additional search words based on a certain criterion, and providing, together with the initial search result, additional search results corresponding to a certain number of higher ranked additional search words. 
     The search service providing device  100  may be a portal service providing server providing various services accommodating user convenience, in addition to a general search service. In other words, the search service providing device  100  may be a server providing various services, such as a portal service including a search service, an email service, a blog service, a social network service (SNS), a news service, and a shopping information providing service. 
     Alternatively, the search service providing device  100  may be a physical device connected to a service providing server providing various services, in a wired/wireless communication manner. 
     The user terminal  200  may be a communication terminal capable of using a web service in a wired/wireless communication environment. In  FIG. 1 , as examples of the user terminal  200 , a first user terminal  200   a  in a form of a smart phone and a second user terminal  200   b  in a form of a desktop computer are illustrated. However, some example embodiments are not limited thereto, and any electronic device capable of exchanging data with another device in a wired/wireless communication environment may be unlimitedly used as the user terminal  200 . 
     In further detail, examples of the user terminal  200  include a tablet personal computer (PC), a smart television (TV), a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop computer, a media player, a micro-server, a global positioning system (GPS) device, an electronic book terminal, a digital broadcasting terminal, a navigation device, a kiosk, an MP3 player, a digital camera, a wearable device, and other mobile or non-mobile computing devices, but are not limited thereto. 
     The communication network  300  may connect the search service providing device  100  and the user terminal  200  to each other. In other words, the communication network  300  may denote a communication network that provides an access path such that the user terminal  200  and the search service providing device  100  may exchange data. Examples of the communication network  300  may include wired networks, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), and an integrated service digital network (ISDN), and wireless networks, such as a wireless LAN, a code division multiple access (CDMA), Bluetooth, and a satellite communication network, but are not limited thereto. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of a structure of a search service providing system according to some example embodiments. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the search service providing device  100  may be a device included in the user terminal  200 . In other words, the search service providing device  100  may not be hardware performing functions as a server, but may be hardware installed inside or outside a terminal, and may be hardware in which software for performing a search service function is installed. 
     In this case, a computer program providing a search service according to some example embodiments may be stored in a memory  220  or a program storage unit  240  of the user terminal  200  such that the user terminal  200  itself operates as the search service providing device  100 . In detail, an input receiver  110  of the search service providing device  100  may be included in an input/output (I/O) unit  230  of the user terminal  200  or receive an input of the user, which is detected by the I/O unit  230 . Also, a communication unit  210 , the memory  220 , the program storage unit  240 , and a controller of the user terminal  200  may respectively perform functions of a communication unit  130 , a memory  140 , a program storage unit  150 , and a controller  120  of the search service providing device  100 . 
     Alternatively, the search service providing device  100  may operate as a device that provides only functions of determining the additional search words from the initial search word and displaying the additional search results. A general search function and functions of a search server that stores search data may be performed by a portal service providing server  400 . In other words, when the initial search word is input to the user terminal  200 , the user terminal  200  may request the portal service providing server  400  to provide the initial search result corresponding to the initial search word. Here, the user terminal  200  in which a search service program according to some example embodiments is installed may determine the additional search words from the initial search word, determine the rankings of the additional search words, and request the portal service providing server  400  to provide the additional search results corresponding to all or some of the additional search words based on the determined rankings. 
     As described above, the search service providing device  100  may be a device included in a server that provides a search service or may be a device included in the user terminal  200 . Hereinafter, a case in which the search service providing device  100  is included in a server that provides a search service will be mainly described. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic block diagram of an internal structure of the search service providing system of  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the search service providing system  10  according to some example embodiments may include the search service providing device  100 , the user terminal  200 , and the communication network  300 . The search service providing device  100  may include the input receiver  110  and the controller  120 . Also, the search service providing device  100  may further include the communication unit  130 , the memory  140 , the program storage unit  150 , and a database (DB)  160 . 
     The input receiver  110  may receive the initial search word from the user. In other words, the search service providing device  100  may receive the initial search word transmitted from the user terminal  200  to the input receiver  110 . 
     Here, the input receiver  110  may receive data from the user terminal  200  through the communication network  300 . In other words, the input receiver  110  may be a component of the communication unit  130  that exchanges data with the user terminal  200 . 
     The controller  120  may generally control overall operations of the search service providing device  100 . For example, the controller  120  may execute programs stored in the program storage unit  150  to generally control the input receiver  110 , the communication unit  130 , the memory  140 , the program storage unit  150 , the DB  160 , and other components included in the search service providing device  100 . 
     The controller  120  may include any type of device capable of processing data, such as a processor. Here, the ‘processor’ may denote, for example, a data processing apparatus embedded in hardware and having a physically structured circuit to perform a function expressed in a code or command included in a program. Examples of the data processing apparatus embedded in hardware may include a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), a processor core, a multiprocessor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a field programmable gate array (FPGA), but are not limited thereto. 
     The controller  120  may provide the initial search result corresponding to the received initial search word to the user terminal  200 . 
     The controller  120  may determine the one or more additional search words based on the received initial search word, and provide the determined additional search words to the user terminal  200 . For example, when the initial search word is ‘cough’, the controller  120  may determine, as the additional search words, names of various types of diseases that may cause coughing. As another example, when the initial search word is ‘lease’, the controller  120  may determine, as the additional search words, differences between the terms lease, purchase and monthly rent, and creation of right on lease, moving-in notification, and obtaining of a definite date, which may be executed after lease. 
     Then, the controller  120  may determine the rankings of the determined additional search words. Various elements may be considered while determining the rankings of the additional search words, and details thereof will be described below with reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
     Then, the controller  120  may provide the additional search results corresponding to one or more additional search words having high rankings to the user terminal  200 , in consideration of the rankings of the additional search words. 
     At this time, the controller  120  may include an additional search word determiner  121 , a ranking determiner  122 , and a search result provider  123 . In this case, the additional search word determiner  121  may determine the one or more additional search words based on the received initial search word. Also, the ranking determiner  122  may determine the rankings of the determined additional search words. Also, the search result provider  123  may provide the initial search result and the additional search results to the user terminal  200 . 
     The communication unit  130  may exchange a wired/wireless signal with the user terminal  200 , the portal service providing server  400 , or a base station on the communication network  300 . The communication unit  130  may be a Bluetooth communication unit, a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communication unit, a near field communication unit, a wireless local area network (WLAN) (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a Zigbee communication unit, an infrared data association (IrDA) communication unit, a Wi-Fi direct (WFD) communication unit, an ultra wideband (UWB) communication unit, or an Ant+ communication unit, but is not limited thereto. 
     The memory  140  may temporarily or permanently store data processed by the controller  120 . Here, the memory  140  may include a magnetic storage medium or a flash storage medium, but the range of some example embodiments is not limited thereto. 
     The program storage unit  150  may include control software that performs operations of exchanging data with the user terminal  200  or the portal service providing server  400  and various necessary or auxiliary operations to perform such operations. 
     The DB  160  may store information, search words, inquiries, or responses corresponding to inquiries, which are received from the user terminal  200  that exchanges data. 
     Here, the DB  160  may include a search word DB  161  that stores search words or inquiries received from the user terminal  20  (and other users using the search service) that exchanges data. Also, the DB  160  may include a response DB  162  that stores responses to information or inquiries, the responses received from the user terminal  200  (and other users using the search service) that exchanges data. 
     Also, at least one of the DB  160 , the search word DB  161 , and the response DB  162  may change a part of speech, such as a verb or an adjective, to a noun or change a part of speech to a basic form or singular form while storing the received search words, inquiries, or responses corresponding to inquiries. For example, when words received from the user terminal  200  are ‘I&#39;m dizzy’, at least one of the DB  160 , the search word DB  161 , and the response DB  162  may store an adjective corresponding to ‘I&#39;m dizzy’ by changing it to the basic adjective ‘dizzy’ or may store a noun by changing a part of speech to a noun, such as ‘dizziness’. 
     Also, the DB  160  may include a user DB storing information about the user of the user terminal  200  that exchanges data. Here, the information about the user may include an age, a gender, an occupation, an address, an area of self-input interest, an area of previously input information, an area of previously input search words, an area of previously input inquiries, and an area of previously input responses. 
     Continuously referring to  FIG. 3 , the user terminal  200  according to some example embodiments may include the communication unit  210 , the memory  220 , the I/O unit  230 , the program storage unit  240 , and the controller  250 . 
     The communication unit  210  may be a device including hardware or software used to exchange data with at least one of the search service providing device  100 , the portal service providing server  400 , and the base station through the communication network  300  via wired/wireless connection. 
     The memory  220  may temporarily or permanently store data processed by the controller  250 . Here, the memory  220  may include a magnetic storage medium or a flash storage medium, but the range of some example embodiments is not limited thereto. 
     The I/O unit  230  may include a display unit and an input unit. The display unit may be a device displaying an interface used for the user of the user terminal  200  to write or read information, search words, inquiries, or responses corresponding to inquiries. The display unit may include at least one of a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin-film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a flexible display, a 3-dimensional (3D) display, and an electrophoretic display, but the range of some example embodiments are not limited thereto. The input unit may be a unit for receiving a command from the user of the user terminal  200  to control the user terminal  200 . Examples of the input unit may include a keyboard, a keypad, a dome switch, a touch pad (a touch capacitance type, a pressure resistance film type, an infrared light detecting type, a surface ultrasound conducting type, an integral tension measuring type, or a piezo-effect type), a jog wheel, and a jog switch, and a mouse, but are not limited thereto. The input unit may be a device performing a click input through a mouse of the user, an input through a keyboard of the user, or a voice input of the user, a device receiving such inputs, or a device detecting such inputs, but is not limited thereto. 
     The program storage unit  240  may include control software that performs operations of exchanging data with the search service providing device  100  or the portal service providing server  400  and various necessary or auxiliary operations to perform such operations. 
     The controller  250  may generally control overall operations of the user terminal  200 . For example, the controller  250  may execute programs stored in the program storage unit  240  to generally control the communication unit  210 , the memory  220 , the I/O unit  230 , the program storage unit  240 , and other components included in the user terminal  200 . The controller  250  may include any type of device capable of processing data, such as a processor. Examples of the controller  250  may include a microprocessor, a CPU, a processor core, a multiprocessor, ASIC, and FPGA, but are not limited thereto. 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  are schematic diagrams of examples of search data being provided by a search service providing device, according to some example embodiments. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the search service providing device  100  according to some example embodiments may provide to the user terminal  200  an initial search result corresponding to an initial search word received from the user terminal  200 . In addition, the search service providing device  100  may provide additional search words determined based on the initial search word, and additional search results corresponding to at least one of the additional search words to the user terminal  200 . 
     The search service providing device  100  may provide the initial search result related to the initial search word to the user terminal  200 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 4 , a first initial search word  170  of ‘dizziness’ may be received from the user terminal  200 . In this case, the controller  120  of the search service providing device  100  may provide a search result corresponding to the first initial search word  170  of ‘dizziness’, e.g., a first initial search result  172 , to the user terminal  200 . The first initial search result  172  may include a definition of dizziness, causes of dizziness, or text including the word ‘dizziness’. 
     Here, the first initial search result  172  may be data selected from pieces of information or responses stored in the response DB  162 . Accordingly, the search service providing device  100  may use data received previously from the user terminal  200  to provide a response with respect to a search word currently received from the user terminal  200 . 
     The search service providing device  100  may determine one or more additional search words based on the received initial search word. For example, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the controller  120  of the search service providing device  100  may determine, in relation to the initial search word of ‘dizziness’, first additional search words  174  of ‘Meniere&#39;s disease’, ‘vestibular neuritis’, ‘benign paroxysmal vertigo’ and ‘stroke’, which may cause dizziness. 
     Here, the first additional search words  174  may be data selected from search words or inquiries stored in the search word DB  161 . Also, the first additional search words  174  may be data stored in the search word DB  161  in relation to the first initial search word  170 . Here, the data stored in relation to the first initial search word  170  may be search words or inquiries searched for before or after searching the first initial search word  170  in previous searches, because it is likely that content searched for before or after searching the first initial search word  170  relate to a phenomenon or incident that may be a cause of, a result of, or occur together with the first initial search word  170 . Accordingly, the search service providing device  100  may determine the first additional search words  174  related to the first initial search word  170 . 
     Also, while selecting additional search words from search words or inquiries stored in the search word DB  161 , the search service providing device  100  may consider information about a user who input the search words or inquiries. For example, in relation to ‘dizziness’, a person who has medical expertise, such as a doctor or a pharmacist, may have input a search word of ‘Meniere&#39;s disease’, and an ordinary person who is not knowledgeable about medical science may have input a search word of ‘cold’. In this case, the controller  120  of the search service providing device  100  may determine the search word input by the expert as an additional search word prior to the search word input by the ordinary person. Such information about a user may be stored in a user DB included in the DB  160 . 
     The search service providing device  100  may determine rankings of the determined additional search words. 
     Here, the controller  120  of the search service providing device  100  may determine the rankings of the search words in order of the highest number of responses corresponding to each of the additional search words included in the response DB  162 . For example, when ‘Meniere&#39;s disease’, ‘ vestibular neuritis’, ‘benign paroxysmal vertigo’, and ‘stroke’ are selected as the first additional search words  174 , and the number of responses related to ‘Meniere&#39;s disease’ is greater than the number of responses related to other additional search words, ‘Meniere&#39;s disease’ may be determined to be ranked no. 1. 
     Alternatively, the controller  120  of the search service providing device  100  may determine the rankings of the additional search word in order of the highest number of responses given by an expert in an area related to the responses from among the responses corresponding to each of the additional search words included in the response DB  162 . 
     Alternatively, the controller  120  of the search service providing device  100  may use statistical data stored in the DB  160  or the like to check information about the number of occurrences corresponding to each of the additional search words within a certain period of time, the number of times an occurrence corresponding to the initial search word and an occurrence corresponding to each of the additional search words occur contemporaneously within a certain period of time, and a probability that an occurrence corresponding to each of the additional search words also occurs when an occurrence corresponding to the initial search word occurs. Then, the controller  120  of the search service providing device  100  may determine the additional search words that have statistically high occurrence probabilities or have high occurrences of high rankings. 
     Also, the controller  120  of the search service providing device  100  may check information about an age, a gender, an occupation, an address, an area of self-input interest, an area of previously input information, an area of previously input search words, an area of previously input inquiries, and an area of previously input responses, which are input by a search service user who input the initial search word. Then, the controller  120  of the search service providing device  100  may determine the rankings of the additional search words in order of highest number of times each of the additional search words was searched for by other users having the same or similar personal data as the search service user. 
     Alternatively, the controller  120  of the search service providing device  100  may consider the number of times each of the additional search words was searched for by users who used the search service providing device  100  within a certain period of time, or an average reading time of additional search results corresponding to each of the additional search words. Then, the controller  120  of the search service providing device  100  may determine the rankings of the additional search words in order of highest number of times each of the additional search words was searched for or in order of longest average reading time of the additional search results corresponding to each of the additional search words. 
     As described above, when the number of responses corresponding to each of the additional search words, the probability that each of the additional search words may occur, information about the user who input the initial search word, or satisfaction of past users is considered while determining the rankings of the additional search words, the additional search words having high probabilities of actually occurring or having high importance may be ranked high. Accordingly, the search service providing device  100  may provide the ranked additional search word having high probability of helping the user of the search service. 
     The search service providing device  100  may select at least one additional search word in order of highest rankings from among the entire additional search words. Then, the search service providing device  100  may provide additional search results corresponding to the selected additional search words to the user terminal  200 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 4 , ‘Meniere&#39;s disease’, ‘vestibular neuritis’, ‘benign paroxysmal vertigo’, and ‘stroke’ may be selected as the first additional search words  174 , and ‘Meniere&#39;s disease’ may be determined to have a highest ranking. In this case, the controller  120  of the search service providing device  100  may provide only a first additional search result  176  regarding ‘Meniere&#39;s disease’ to the user terminal  200  together with the first initial search result  172  and the first additional search words  174 . 
     Here, the first additional search result  176  may be data selected from the pieces of information or responses stored in the response DB  162 . Accordingly, the search service providing device  100  may use data received previously from the user terminal  200  to provide a response to an additional search word to the user terminal  200 . 
     The search service providing device  100  may receive feedback on the provided additional search words and the additional search results from the user terminal  200 . In other words, the input receiver  110  of the search service providing device  100  may receive, from the user terminal  200 , an evaluation, such as in terms of accuracy or satisfaction, with respect to the additional search words and the additional search results, as evaluation factors of how appropriate the additional search words and the additional search results were to the user of the search service. Then, the controller  120  of the search service providing device  100  may later use the received evaluation, such as in terms of the accuracy or the satisfaction, to select the additional search words or determine the rankings of the additional search words in future searches. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , when a search word in natural language form is received from the user terminal  200 , the search service providing device  100  may determine an initial search word via a method of determining a certain noun from the natural language. In detail, the input receiver  110  of the search service providing device  100  may receive a natural search word including a noun, a pronoun, a numeral, a verb, an adjective, a determiner, an adverb, a postposition or an interjection. Here, the controller  120  of the search service providing device  100  may select a word included in the natural search word or may determine the initial search word via a method of determining a noun from parts of speech of the natural search word. 
     For example, as shown in  FIG. 5 ( a ) , a first natural search word  178  of ‘My head is sore’ from the user terminal  200 . In this case, the controller  120  of the search service providing device  100  may determine that the ‘head’ is in a certain state due to the noun ‘head’ and the verb ‘is’. Also, the controller  120  of the search service providing device  100  may analyze the natural language ‘My head is sore’ and determine that the phrase has a meaning that the ‘head’ is in a state of ‘sore’ due to the noun ‘head’ and the verb ‘is’, thereby determining an initial search word ‘dizziness’. Also, as described above, the search service providing device  100  may determine additional search words, such as ‘Meniere&#39;s disease; and ‘stroke’, from ‘dizziness’ and additional search results  180  corresponding to the additional search words, and provide the additional search words and the additional search results  180  to the user terminal  200 . 
     As another example, as shown in  FIG. 5 ( b ) , second natural search words  182  of ‘I moved to a leased house’ may be received from the user terminal  200 . In this case, the controller  120  of the search service providing device  100  may analyze the natural language to determine initial search words, such as ‘creation of right on lease’ and ‘moving-in notification and obtaining of a definite date’, and search results  184  corresponding thereto, and provide the initial search words and the search results  184  to the user terminal  200 . 
       FIG. 6  is a flowchart of a search service providing method according to some example embodiments. 
     The flowchart of  FIG. 6  includes operations performed in time series by the search service providing device  100  of  FIGS. 1 through 5 . Accordingly, details described with reference to the components of  FIGS. 1 through 5  may also be applied to the flowchart of  FIG. 6  even if omitted below. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the search service providing method according to some example embodiments may include receiving, by an input receiver, an initial search word (operation S 100 ), determining, by a controller, one or more additional search words based on the received initial search word (operation S 200 ), determining, by the controller, rankings of the determined one or more additional search words (operation S 300 ), and selecting, by the controller, at least one additional search word from among the one or more additional search words in consideration of the determined rankings and displaying additional search results corresponding to the selected at least one additional search word while displaying the initial search word, an initial search result corresponding to the initial search word, and the one or more additional search words (operation S 400 ). 
     By using the search service providing device  100  and the search service providing method according to some example embodiments, one or more additional search words may be determined from an initial search word received from a user, and additional search results regarding the additional search words may be provided together with an initial search result regarding the initial search word. Accordingly, the search service providing device  100  and the search service providing method according to some example embodiments may provide all information desired by the user without the user having to repeat several searches, and provide useful information even when the user does not know a technical term or procedures of a certain area. 
     In addition, by using the search service providing device  100  and the search service providing method according to some example embodiments, rankings of additional search words may be determined and additional search results for only some of the additional search words may be provided in consideration of the determined rankings. Accordingly, a user may be prevented from being confused by provision of additional search results related to something that is probabilistically unlikely to occur or to content that may not be largely related. 
     One or more of the above example embodiments may be embodied in the form of a computer program that may be run in a computer through various elements. The computer program may be recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium. Examples of the non-transitory computer-readable recording medium include magnetic media (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., CD-ROMs and DVDs), magneto-optical media (e.g., floptical disks), and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program commands (e.g., ROMs, RAMs, and flash memories). Furthermore, the non-transitory computer-readable recording medium may be a formless medium that may be transmitted and distributed in a network, e.g., software or an application. 
     Meanwhile, the computer programs may be specially designed or well known to one of ordinary skill in the computer software field. Examples of the computer programs include mechanical code prepared by a compiler, and high-level languages executable by a computer by using an interpreter. 
     The particular implementations shown and described herein are illustrative examples of the disclosure and are not intended to otherwise limit the scope of the disclosure in any way. For the sake of brevity, conventional electronics, control systems, software development and other functional aspects of the systems (and components of the individual operating components of the systems) may not be described in detail. Furthermore, the connecting lines, or connectors shown in the various figures presented are intended to represent example functional relationships and/or physical or logical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships, physical connections or logical connections may be present in a practical device. Moreover, no item or component is essential to the practice of the example embodiments unless the element is specifically described as “essential” or “critical”. 
     It should be understood that example embodiments described herein should be considered in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Descriptions of features or aspects within some example embodiments should typically be considered as available for other similar features or aspects in other example embodiments. 
     Some example embodiments may be used for a search service providing device, method and a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program increasing convenience of a user using a search function by determining one or more additional search words from an initial search word received from the user and providing additional search results for the additional search words together with an initial search result for the initial search word.