Patent Document ID: 9412066
Application ID: 13794720
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A computer-implemented method for predicting optimum run times for software samples, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising: identifying a set of training data that identifies: a plurality of static characteristics of at least one software sample previously executed by at least one software-analysis mechanism; an amount of time taken by the software-analysis mechanism to observe a threshold level of run-time behaviors of the previously executed software sample by: identifying a start time at which the software-analysis mechanism started executing the software sample; identifying a threshold time at which the software-analysis mechanism finished observing the threshold level of run-time behaviors while executing the software sample; calculating the amount of time taken by the software-analysis mechanism to observe the threshold level of run-time behaviors while executing the software sample based at least in part on the start time and the threshold time; identifying a plurality of static characteristics of an additional software sample; determining that the static characteristics of the additional software sample and the static characteristics of the previously executed software sample exceed a threshold level of similarity by comparing the static characteristics of the additional software sample with the set of training data; in response to determining that the static characteristics of the additional software sample and the static characteristics of the previously executed software sample exceed a threshold level of similarity, predicting an optimum run time for the additional software sample based at least in part on the amount of time taken by the software-analysis mechanism to observe the threshold level of run-time behaviors of the previously executed software sample, the optimum run time comprising a specific amount of time that the software-analysis mechanism is to execute the additional software sample such that, after executing the additional software sample for the specific amount of time, the software-analysis mechanism is to stop executing the additional software sample.