Application resource usage information

Abstract

An environment is described in which a processing system provides application-level usage information to users. In one scenario, for example, the processing system may provide personal usage information to a user who is operating a user device. The personal usage information itemizes the amount of data (and/or other resources) that has been consumed by each application run by the user device. In another scenario, the processing system may provide expected usage information associated with at least one candidate application provided by a marketplace system. The expected usage information describes an expected consumption of data (and/or other resources) by the candidate application upon running the candidate application by the user device. The processing system can tailor the expected usage information that it sends to a particular user based on user profile data. The user profile data describes a manner in which users operate applications.

1 . A method, implemented by computing functionality, comprising:
 receiving device resource usage information regarding a particular device;   receiving candidate resource usage information associated with a candidate application, the candidate resource usage information describing actual and/or estimated consumption of resources by the candidate application;   based on the device resource usage information and the candidate resource usage information, generating estimated resource usage information describing an estimate of consumption of resources if that candidate application were to be executed by the particular device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising automatically modifying the way in which the candidate application executes on the particular device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the estimated consumption of resources by the candidate application includes simulated resource usage information derived by simulating execution of the candidate application. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the estimated resource usage represents an amount of energy. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the estimated resource usage represents an amount of data. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising rendering an interactive user interface, the interactive user interface presenting one or more selectable views of any one or more of the device resource usage information, the candidate resource usage information, and the estimated resource usage information. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating the estimated resource usage information with reference to a data plan that governs consumption of data by the particular device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the candidate application is downloadable from an application store. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, in response to receipt of the estimated resource usage information, automatically modifying the behavior of the particular device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the estimated resource usage information is generated at the particular device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the estimated resource usage information is generated at a location remote from the particular device. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising, in response to receipt of the estimated resource usage information, automatically modifying the resources consumed by the candidate application on the particular device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the estimated resource usage information is generated based further on a user profile associated with the particular device. 
     
     
         14 . A computer readable storage device for storing computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions providing a usage analysis module when executed by one or more processing devices, the computer readable instructions comprising:
 logic configured to receive device resource usage information regarding a particular device;   logic configured to receive candidate resource usage information associated with a candidate application, the candidate resource usage information describing actual and/or estimated consumption of resources by the candidate application; and   logic configured to, based on the device resource usage information and the candidate resource usage information, generate estimated resource usage information describing an estimate of consumption of resources if that candidate application were to be executed by the particular device.   
     
     
         15 . The computer readable storage device of  claim 14 , wherein the estimated consumption of resources by the candidate application includes simulated resource usage information derived by simulating execution of the candidate application. 
     
     
         16 . The computer readable storage device of  claim 14 , further comprising logic configured to automatically modify the behavior of the particular device. 
     
     
         17 . The computer readable storage device of  claim 14 , further comprising logic configured to automatically modify the resources consumed by the candidate application on the particular device. 
     
     
         18 . A usage analysis module, implemented by computing functionality, comprising:
 logic configured to receive device resource usage information regarding a particular device;   logic configured to receive candidate resource usage information associated with a candidate application, the candidate resource usage information describing actual and/or estimated consumption of resources by the candidate application;   logic configured to, based on the device resource usage information and the candidate resource usage information, generate estimated resource usage information describing an estimate of consumption of resources if that candidate application were to be executed by the particular device; and   logic configured to automatically modify the way in which the candidate application executes on the particular device.   
     
     
         19 . The usage analysis module of  claim 18 , further comprising logic configured to automatically limit the use of one or more features of the candidate application on the particular device. 
     
     
         20 . The usage analysis module of  claim 18 , further comprising logic configured to automatically modify the behavior of the particular device.