Patent Document ID: 8037068
Application ID: 11399568

Base Claim:
1. A method for searching through content which is accessible through a web-based form, the method comprising, in a computer system, performing the operations of: receiving a query containing keywords; analyzing the query to create a structured query, the analyzing comprising: predicting a class for the query based at least on the keywords in the query; mapping the keywords in the query to properties of the predicted class; and generating a structured query based on the mapping; performing a lookup based on the structured query in a database containing an entry for each of a plurality of web-based forms; ranking web-based forms returned by the lookup, wherein ranking the web-based forms comprises determining one or more scores for each web-based form based on properties of a web page in which the web-based form is located, wherein determining the one or more scores comprises determining a form score that reflects an ability of the web-based form to answer the query by: determining inputs and outputs for a first web-based form based on the predicted class for the query; determining inputs and outputs for a second web-based form in the database; and computing the form score for the first web-based form using the inputs and outputs for the first web-based form and the inputs and outputs for the second web-based form; and facilitating a search of content that is accessible through the web-based forms using the rankings.

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Claim 10:
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein predicting the class for the query comprises performing at least one of: a word-based prediction, wherein the word-based prediction comprises predicting one or more classes that are likely to generate the keywords in the query; a property-based prediction, wherein the property-based prediction comprises predicting one or more classes that are likely to generate one or more recognized property values in the user query; a feedback-based prediction, wherein the feedback-based prediction comprises predicting a class based on a result of a keyword query using the keywords in the query; or a location detection, wherein location detection comprises predicting a class based on keywords in the query that are determined to be a name of a location.