Patent Publication Number: US-2011072378-A1

Title: Method and apparatus for visualizing energy consumption of applications and actions

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Service providers (e.g., wireless, cellular, etc.) and device manufacturers are continually challenged to deliver value and convenience to consumers. A myriad of applications from entertainment to business are available to users over an equally wide array of electronic devices, e.g., laptop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable music players, smart mobile phones, etc. The portability and hence convenience of such devices are dictated by battery life. The various applications can greatly impact battery life differently, as certain applications require different amounts of energy. For example, an application that invokes energy intensive operations within the electronic device (e.g., communicating over the transceiver of a mobile phone to obtain data) is relatively costly in terms of battery life. Hence, usability of the electronic device, particularly when the user depends on mobility, is greater hindered. Traditionally, there has been a lack of detailed energy consumption information to users of the devices, thus users have been unable to make energy informed decisions. In particular, only a general estimate of a usage time of the entire device has been provided—i.e., the number of minutes remaining on the battery. For example, an electronic device may display an estimated remaining usage time or a battery power bar to convey the power status of the electronic device. 
     SOME EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS 
     According to one embodiment, a method comprises determining energy consumption information of an action or application configured to be executed on a user equipment. The method also comprises causing, at least in part, presentation, via a graphical user interface of the user equipment, of the energy consumption information along with a visual indicator representing the action or the application. 
     According to another embodiment, an apparatus comprising at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine energy consumption information of an action or application configured to be executed on a user equipment. The apparatus is also caused to cause, at least in part, presentation, via a graphical user interface of the user equipment, of the energy consumption information along with a visual indicator representing the action or the application. 
     According to another embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to determine energy consumption information of an action or application configured to be executed on a user equipment. The apparatus is also caused to cause, at least in part, presentation, via a graphical user interface of the user equipment, of the energy consumption information along with a visual indicator representing the action or the application. 
     According to another embodiment, an apparatus comprises means for determining energy consumption information of an action or application configured to be executed on a user equipment. The apparatus also comprises means for causing, at least in part, presentation, via a graphical user interface of the user equipment, of the energy consumption information along with a visual indicator representing the action or the application. 
     According to one embodiment, a method comprises determining energy consumption information for a plurality of applications configured to be executed on a user equipment. The method also comprises causing, at least in part, to associate the energy consumption information with the respective applications as part of an online service. 
     According to another embodiment, an apparatus comprising at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine energy consumption information for a plurality of applications configured to be executed on a user equipment. The apparatus is also caused to cause, at least in part, to associate the energy consumption information with the respective applications as part of an online service. 
     According to another embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to determine energy consumption information for a plurality of applications configured to be executed on a user equipment. The apparatus is also caused to cause, at least in part, to associate the energy consumption information with the respective applications as part of an online service. 
     According to another embodiment, an apparatus comprises means for determining energy consumption information for a plurality of applications configured to be executed on a user equipment. The apparatus also comprises means for causing, at least in part, to associate the energy consumption information with the respective applications as part of an online service. 
     Still other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description, simply by illustrating a number of particular embodiments and implementations, including the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention. The invention is also capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details can be modified in various obvious respects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram of a system capable of measuring and visualizing energy consumption of applications and actions, according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram of the components of energy consumption module, according to one embodiment; 
         FIGS. 3 and 4  are flowcharts of processes for determining and presenting energy consumption information of actions and/or applications, according to various embodiments; 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart of a process for determining and presenting energy consumption information of filtered and unfiltered actions, according to one embodiment; 
         FIGS. 6A through 6D  are diagrams of user interfaces utilized in the processes of  FIGS. 3-5 , according to various embodiments; 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram of hardware that can be used to implement an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a diagram of a chip set that can be used to implement an embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 9  is a diagram of a mobile terminal (e.g., handset) that can be used to implement an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS 
     A method and apparatus for measuring and visualizing energy consumption of applications and actions are disclosed. In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the invention. It is apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details or with an equivalent arrangement. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the embodiments of the invention. 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram of a system capable  100  of determining, associating, and presenting energy consumption of actions and/or applications to users, according to one embodiment. As mentioned, users of electronic devices are unaware of the energy or power that is consumed for the various applications and actions supported by these devices. Moreover, each action or application that can be executed on these devices require different amount of energy. Traditional mechanisms to present energy information of the electronic devices to users are inadequate, in that they do not convey any energy information about the applications that reside on the devices or that the users may download to the respective devices of the users. Given the variety of applications that a user may select to utilize, it may be the case that if a user has knowledge of the high energy consumption of a particular application, the user may not elect to launch such application if battery life is of a concern. 
     Accordingly, the system  100  of  FIG. 1  introduces the capability to determine, associate, and present the energy or power consumption of applications and/or actions to users. With more detailed energy information, users can intelligently manage the operation of their devices with respect to the applications. In this manner, the user can conserve energy (and thus extend battery life) by inactivating applications that consume more energy at the appropriate times. In addition to applications, it is contemplated that energy management can be performed with respect to “actions” executed by the electronic devices, in general. In accordance with certain embodiments, energy information may include any data or parameters relating to the consumption or expenditure of electricity. According to certain embodiments, the term “action” refers to an event, function, capability, or other activities that consume power and that can be caused to occur on a UE  101 . Examples of an action include executing a web link, initiating a phone call, initiating a voice session over an internet connection, and sending a message. 
     The UE  101  is any type of mobile terminal, fixed terminal, or portable terminal including a mobile handset, station, unit, device, multimedia tablet, Internet node, communicator, desktop computer, laptop computer, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), or any combination thereof. It is also contemplated that the UE  101  can support any type of interface to the user (such as “wearable” circuitry, etc.). 
     In one embodiment, user equipment (UE)  101 , such as mobile devices, may be used to collect energy consumption information of the applications and/or actions. In certain embodiments, “energy consumption information” includes measurements of the action or application  107 , determinations of energy consumption (e.g., a determined energy consumption rating, an energy consumption rate, energy consumption timing information, etc.) and/or other like energy use related information. Once the energy consumption information is collected, the energy consumption information can be processed or transmitted to an application energy consumption platform  103  via a communication network  105 . The UE  101  can detect the energy consumption of actions and/or applications  107  (e.g., a messaging application, a web browser, etc.) via an energy consumption module  109 . This capability can advantageously permit the user to evaluate which application and/or actions are more critical to invoke, particularly in situations where battery power may be low. For instance, assuming the UE  101  is a mobile phone, if the battery power is low, the user can effectively “reserve” the energy for the phone functions, rather than execute a gaming application, or a browser application to “surf” the web. 
     As seen in  FIG. 1 , the application energy consumption platform  103  can include a resources database  111  and an associated applications database  113  to store energy consumption data as well as other resource usage data collected from one or more energy consumption modules  109 . The application energy consumption platform  103  can then send an online store  115 , via the communication network  105 , resource information (e.g., energy consumption data, memory consumption information, processor consumption information, etc.) associated with applications  113 . The online store  115  can present the resource information with its respective application to users wishing to purchase applications. 
     In one embodiment, application  107  and action energy consumption information is collected by the energy consumption module  109 . The energy consumption module  109  may also detect and store data about what applications  107  and/or actions are active on the UE  101  when the energy consumption information is collected. Data about the energy consumption of the UE  101  can include energy usage of the UE  101 , the energy usage of one or more components of the UE  101 , or the like. A power meter can be connected to various parts of the UE  101  to determine the rate of energy being used by the UE  101  or its components. The power meter(s) can detect the current flowing from a power source and a voltage drop of the power source to determine power consumption and/or a power consumption rate. 
     In another embodiment, an energy consumption module  109  associated with an application energy consumption platform  103  can determine the energy consumption of an application  107  or action on a UE  101 . The energy consumption module  109  can be a part of the UE  101  or external to the UE  101  as part of an application energy consumption platform  103 . Moreover, more than one energy consumption module  109  on one or more UEs  101  or energy consumption platforms  103  may be used in combination to determine energy consumption information. Additionally, the energy consumption information collected by the energy consumption module  109  can be stored in a resources database  111  that associates each action or application  107  with resources consumed, including power, during the execution of the application  107  or action. Other resources can include memory, processor utilization, network interface utilization, etc. The energy consumption information can additionally be associated with a particular type of UE  101 . This information can be used to set a default energy consumption rating associated with the particular type of UE  101 . Thus, collected energy consumption data of an application  107  or action can be specific to the type of UE  101 . Further, the collected energy consumption data may be specific to an application  107 ; and a formula may be used to estimate the energy consumption of the application  107  on another type of UE  101 . One method of calculating this energy consumption information is to determine a relative energy consumption rating of the type of UE  101  and the other type of UE  101  and use this rating as a scale. Energy consumption information of the application  107  executing on the other type of UE  101  can then be scaled to estimate the energy consumption of the application  107  on the type of UE  101 . The collected energy consumption data of the application or action may also be specific to a user. This can be determined based on objective data collected about the manner (e.g., performance settings) that the user utilizes the user&#39;s UE  101 . 
     Additionally, the energy consumption module  109  can collect data representing parameters, such as configuration settings, of the application  107  or action. In some instances, the parameters of the application  107  or action can greatly change the energy consumption of a UE  101 . In one example, a setting of an email application  107  relating to updating frequency can be associated with a time parameters (e.g., check for an update every minute, every 10 minutes, every hour, etc.) defining the frequency that the UE  101  checks for email updates. The more frequent the update checks, the more the application  107  uses the UE  101  components, and the more energy is consumed. 
     Power consumption of each update can be determined or an average power consumption over a time period can be determined for the application  107  in general or specifically for the use of the application  107  on a type of UE  101 . Additionally, raw energy consumption information can be processed at a testing and/or development facility that can utilize the UE  101  and/or external hardware to determine processed energy consumption information of the application  107  using various parameters (e.g., timing parameters). This processed energy consumption information can be stored in the resources database  111  and/or delivered to UEs  101 . 
     Additionally, energy consumption information can be delivered to an online store  115 . The online store  115  can sell or otherwise provide applications  107 , video, audio, and other content to UEs  101 . As such, the online store  115  can present the delivered energy consumption information about an application  107  with the application  107  when providing the application  107  to a user. In certain examples, the online store  115  can sort the presented applications  107  or other files that can be used by actions to users sorted based on energy consumption. For example, video content at the online store  115  can be offered to a user with various alternative formats. The formats can have energy consumption information (e.g., an energy rating system) associated with each video file (e.g., certain formats may need more extensive decoding). The online store  115  can present the energy rating to the user when offering the content. For example, the content can be associated with an icon and the icon can be tinted or shaded a color based on the energy rating (e.g., green for low energy use, red for great energy use) of the content. Alternatively, instead of colors, other indicia can be utilized, such as stylized text or an alteration to the icon, such as adding certain effects (e.g., smoke or flames) to an icon that uses more energy. Further, the indicator could be an overlay icon, such as a thermometer with different levels of energy use or an energy bar. 
     In yet another embodiment, a UE  101  can receive the energy consumption information from the application energy consumption platform  103  for an application  107 . Then, the UE  101  can collect additional energy consumption information about the application  107  using an energy consumption module  109  of the UE  101 . The UE  101  can then process the collected energy consumption information, using the energy consumption information from the application energy consumption platform  103  as a baseline starting point. Then, the UE  101  can determine energy consumption information about the application  107  particular to the UE  101 . The determined energy consumption information can then be used to determine useful information, such as a battery life of the UE  101  if the application  107  was activated from an inactive state or the battery life of the UE  101  if an active application  107  was deactivated. Additionally, advisory information, such as advice on how to increase battery life, can be determined and displayed to a user of the UE  101 . 
     In one embodiment, UEs  101  can send collected energy consumption information about an application  107  to the application energy consumption platform  103 . The energy consumption information about the application  107  can be stored in the resources database  111 . The energy consumption information can be stored as specific as to the use of the application  107  on a certain type of UE  101  or a general use of the application  107 . Additionally, the energy consumption information can be raw data (e.g., data points representing the power usage of the UE  101  while the application  107  is executing) or processed data (e.g., average power consumption of the application  107  on the UE  101 ). 
     The energy consumption information from the UEs  101  can be used to determine community averages from a plurality of users of the application  107  on UEs  101 . A community based average can be useful in determining the energy consumption rate of the application  107  on the UEs  101 . The community average energy consumption rate of the application  107  can then be transmitted to a UE  101 . This UE  101  can utilize the community average energy consumption rate to determine useful energy related information (e.g., how long the UE  101  can operate if the application  107  is activated) about the application  107 . Additionally, the community averages and stored energy consumption information can be useful for research and development of new applications  107  and new UEs  101 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the system  100  comprises a user equipment (UE)  101  having connectivity to a application energy consumption platform  103  and an online store  115  via a communication network  105 . By way of example, the communication network  105  of system  100  includes one or more networks such as a data network (not shown), a wireless network (not shown), a telephony network (not shown), or any combination thereof. It is contemplated that the data network may be any local area network (LAN), metropolitan area network (MAN), wide area network (WAN), a public data network (e.g., the Internet), or any other suitable packet-switched network, such as a commercially owned, proprietary packet-switched network, e.g., a proprietary cable or fiber-optic network. In addition, the wireless network may be, for example, a cellular network and may employ various technologies including enhanced data rates for global evolution (EDGE), general packet radio service (GPRS), global system for mobile communications (GSM), Internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), etc., as well as any other suitable wireless medium, e.g., microwave access (WiMAX), Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), wireless fidelity (WiFi), satellite, mobile ad-hoc network (MANET), and the like. 
     By way of example, the UE  101 , application energy consumption platform  103 , and online store  115  communicate with each other and other components of the communication network  105  using well known, new or still developing protocols. In this context, a protocol includes a set of rules defining how the network nodes within the communication network  105  interact with each other based on information sent over the communication links. The protocols are effective at different layers of operation within each node, from generating and receiving physical signals of various types, to selecting a link for transferring those signals, to the format of information indicated by those signals, to identifying which software application executing on a computer system sends or receives the information. The conceptually different layers of protocols for exchanging information over a network are described in the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model. 
     Communications between the network nodes are typically effected by exchanging discrete packets of data. Each packet typically comprises (1) header information associated with a particular protocol, and (2) payload information that follows the header information and contains information that may be processed independently of that particular protocol. In some protocols, the packet includes (3) trailer information following the payload and indicating the end of the payload information. The header includes information such as the source of the packet, its destination, the length of the payload, and other properties used by the protocol. Often, the data in the payload for the particular protocol includes a header and payload for a different protocol associated with a different, higher layer of the OSI Reference Model. The header for a particular protocol typically indicates a type for the next protocol contained in its payload. The higher layer protocol is said to be encapsulated in the lower layer protocol. The headers included in a packet traversing multiple heterogeneous networks, such as the Internet, typically include a physical (layer  1 ) header, a data-link (layer  2 ) header, an internetwork (layer  3 ) header and a transport (layer  4 ) header, and various application headers (layer  5 , layer  6  and layer  7 ) as defined by the OSI Reference Model. 
     Although various embodiments are described with respect to applications, it is contemplated that the approach described herein may be used generally with actions or functions that consume energy. As such, energy consumption information associated with these actions can be measured and processed using the same or similar approaches. 
       FIG. 2  is a diagram of the components of an energy consumption module  109 , according to one embodiment. By way of example, the energy consumption module  109  includes one or more components for measuring and conveying energy consumption to a user. It is contemplated that the functions of these components may be combined in one or more components or performed by other components of equivalent functionality. In this embodiment, the energy consumption module  109  includes an energy consumption detection module  201 , an energy consumption database  203 , a runtime module  205 , a memory  207 , a user interface  209 , and a communication interface  211 . 
     In one embodiment, the energy consumption module  109  includes an energy consumption detection module  201 . The energy consumption detection module  201  may be used by a runtime module  205  to retrieve energy consumption information from a UE  101  and store the energy consumption information in an energy consumption database  203 . In certain embodiments, energy consumption information includes a measurement of energy consumption (e.g., an energy consumption rate, total energy consumption over a period of time, total energy consumption, etc.) of the UE  101  or components of the UE  101 , the active applications and/or actions executing on the UE  101  at the time(s) of data collection, and/or the collection of other energy related information. The energy consumption rate can be determined by the amount of energy consumed over a period of time. Additionally, the energy consumption detection module  201  can utilize power metering electronics to determine the energy consumption rate of particular components of the UE  101  and store that information in an energy consumption database  203 . In some scenarios, the power metering electronics can be a part of the UE  101 , in other scenarios; the power metering may be external to the UE  101 . 
     In one embodiment, the energy consumption module  109  includes a communication module  211 . The runtime module  205  can send and receive the energy consumption information and other energy related information via the communication interface  211  and store the energy consumption information in the energy consumption database  203 . An energy consumption module  109  associated with the application energy consumption platform  103  can receive energy consumption information from a plurality of UEs  101 . The UEs  101  can send the data via a communication interface  211  of an associated energy consumption module  109 . 
     In one embodiment, an energy consumption module  109  includes a user interface  209 . The user interface  209  can include various methods of communication. For example, the user interface  209  can have outputs including a visual component (e.g., a screen), an audio component, a physical component (e.g., vibrations), and other methods of communication. User inputs can include a touch-screen interface, a scroll-and-click interface, a button interface, a microphone, etc. The user interface  209  can be used to display energy information to a user. 
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart of a process for determining and presenting energy consumption information of actions and/or applications  107 , according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, the runtime module  205  performs the process  300  and is implemented in, for instance, a chip set including a processor and a memory as shown  FIG. 8 . When deciding to execute an application  107  on a UE  101 , the user of the UE  101  may wish to see energy consumption information about the UE  101  if the UE  101  executes the application  107 . This energy consumption information can include information that is or can lead to the determination of advisory information that can be useful to a user (e.g., a battery life if the application  107  was activated, a battery life if an action or application  107  was deactivated, a comparison rating of the energy consumption of multiple actions or applications  107 , etc.). An energy consumption module  109  located on the UE  101  or other device can be used to collect the energy consumption information. 
     In step  301 , the runtime module  205  of the energy consumption module  109  receives pre-determined energy consumption information of an application  107  associated with a UE  101 . This energy consumption information can be determined by an application energy consumption platform  103 , another UE  101 , or any device with an energy consumption module  109 . An application energy consumption platform  103  can determine the pre-determined energy consumption information by collecting energy consumption information from one or more energy consumption modules  109  associated with devices running the application  107 . The collected energy consumption information could include one or more baseline measurements of the UE  101  without any applications or actions executing or with baseline applications or actions executing. Additionally, the energy consumption information can include measurements of the UE  101  with the baseline applications and/or actions executing as well as the application  107  or action in question. The application energy consumption platform  103  can compare the baseline measurements to the measurements including the application  107  in question to determine an energy consumption average, which can be one form of energy consumption information. The energy consumption information can also include energy consumption based on settings of an application  107 . For example, an application  107  may consume less power if the application  107  updates less frequently. 
     Then, at step  303 , the runtime module  205  collects energy consumption information about the application  107  via an energy consumption detection module  201 . Under one scenario, the collected energy consumption information includes the energy consumption of the UE  101  and information about the applications  107  and/or actions executing on the UE  101  when the collected energy consumption information is being collected. The collected energy consumption information can be collected using one or more power meters that determine the power used by the UE  101  as a whole or components of the UE  101  (e.g., a network module, a processor, a memory, etc.). Additionally, resource consumption information from the components may be collected. In one scenario, the collected energy consumption information can include, for example, the power consumption of the component (e.g., the network module) as well as the utilization information of the component by each active application  107  and/or action. With this information, a more accurate estimate as to how much energy a particular application  107  consumes can be ascertained. Energy consumption information can be stored in an energy consumption database  203  as a baseline for determining energy consumption information. 
     In one embodiment, at step  305 , the runtime module  205  determines energy consumption information from the collected energy consumption information. The baseline information can be formulated to include various applications  107  and/or actions that can be executed by a UE  101 . In one example, the baseline information can be based on the pre-determined energy consumption information. In another example, the baseline information is based on the collected energy consumption information. Alternatively or additionally, the baseline information can be based on both the pre-determined energy consumption information and the collected energy consumption information. In this way, different energy consumption information can be used for different scenarios. For example, a user of a UE  101  is interested in activating Application A on the UE  101  and would be interested in ascertaining the power consumption of Application A. The UE  101  is running Applications X, and Y as well as Action Z. The UE  101  can search the energy consumption information for baselines associated with this particular scenario. A first baseline can be associated with the UE  101  running Applications X and Y and Action Z. A second baseline can be associated with the UE  101  running Applications A, X, and Y as well as Action Z. The baselines can be compared to determine the energy consumption information of Application A. In one example, the energy consumption information can be an estimate based on an assumption that Applications X and Y and Action Z consume a constant average power rate based on the first baseline information. In another example, the energy consumption information can be an estimate based on Applications X, and Y as well as Action Z following the first baseline. Additionally, the baselines can correspond to the energy consumption of specific components of a UE  101  (e.g., energy consumption of a network module while the application  107  is active or the energy of a display). In some embodiments, the energy consumption information can be determined based on components of the UE  101  as exemplified in  FIG. 5 . In other embodiments, the consumption of other resources (e.g., memory use, network use, etc.) may be gathered and analyzed in a similar manner to the energy consumption information. 
     Then, at step  307 , the runtime module  205  determines advisory information for optimizing energy usage. The advisory information can include, for example, instructions on how to increase a battery life of the UE  101 . Alternatively, other resource consumption (e.g., memory use, network use, etc.) of the application  107  can be used to determine the advisory information. In one scenario, an application  107  and/or action can have options that affect the energy consumption of the UE  101 . For example, in an e-mail application  107 , standby energy consumption of the application  107  is affected by the frequency of checking for updates. The energy consumption information can include baselines based on some or all of the options utilized by an application  107  and/or an action. The runtime module  205  can parse the information in the energy consumption information to determine alternative settings that can be displayed to the user of a UE  101  that have different power consumption attributes. Then a user is able to select from various energy consumption options. These options can be displayed to the user in the form of a sliding interface where the user is able to select, in a sliding fashion, the energy consumption rate or productivity of the application  107 . With this approach, the user is able to change many underlying parameters using an interface that facilitates the activity by allowing the user to select an end result. Moreover, the user may set an option to allow a background service of the UE  101  optimize application use without subsequent user intervention. The service can have access to the energy consumption information of the applications  107  available on the UE  101  and can determine change the underlying parameters dynamically based on UE  101  context, such as battery life remaining. 
     Then, at step  309 , the runtime module  205  initiates presentation of the energy consumption information and/or advisory information. The presentation of the energy consumption information can take place using an energy user interface mode or a user interface theme that includes the presentation of energy consumption information. In certain embodiments, the energy user interface mode can be automatically invoked if the battery energy of an associated battery goes below a threshold power value. In certain scenarios, the energy consumption information can be formatted to provide relevant information to the user. For example, the energy consumption information can be formatted to display information about the amount of time the application  107  can be used if the application  107  is activated. In another embodiment, the energy consumption information can be formatted to communicate the information via an auditory output of the user equipment or via, for example, a haptic output of the user equipment. An exemplary auditory or haptic output use can be a sound or vibration if it is detected that an application  107  is using more than a certain threshold energy consumption rate. The time information can be determined using an average energy consumption rate from the energy information and an energy capacity level of a battery of the UE  101 . The energy capacity of the battery can be determined by electronic circuitry (e.g., based on the voltage level of the battery). The energy consumption rate of active applications  107  can also be computed based on predetermined baseline energy consumption information for these applications  107 . The average energy consumption rate of the application  107  and currently executing applications  107  and/or actions can be used to determine the execution time. Additionally, the time information can be computed as follows: 
       Remaining battery time=total remaining battery energy/average energy consumption rate. 
     Once the energy consumption information is formatted, the energy consumption information can be presented to the user via a graphical user interface. The energy consumption information can be presented in conjunction with a visual indicator (e.g., an icon, a web link, etc.) representing the application  107 . 
     Under one scenario, a user may be using a UE  101  with low total remaining battery energy, whereby the user seeks to perform the action of contacting another person. By way of example, to initiate this process, the user invokes a contact list or lists, which reveals that the other party can be reached in different ways. That is, the UE  101  supports communicating with the other party via several methods, e.g., a cellular channel, a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) channel, messaging channel (e.g., short messaging service (SMS) or multimedia messaging service (MMS)), etc. The UE  101  provides a user interface that displays an energy or power rating (and/or an estimated talk time) for each of the contacts using the different communication approaches. In this context, the user can be presented energy consumption information that informs the user that significantly more talk time is available over the voice over internet protocol channel than via a cellular channel (e.g., because a cellular channel consumes more energy than a voice over internet protocol channel). The user can then select which person to call and/or the manner to call the person based on the presented energy consumption information. In another scenario, the user may select a game application among multiple applications  107  on the UE  101  depending on what amount of battery life would remain after use of the game application  107  in comparison to other applications  107 . 
     Utilizing the above approach, a user is able to make energy conscious decisions on which applications  107  or actions to utilize. In this manner, the user is provided energy information that allows the user to understand how the user can affect the energy consumption of a UE  101  by the manner the user uses the UE  101 . Thus, the battery life of a UE  101  can be improved by providing feedback of the energy consumption of applications  107  or actions to the user. 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a process for determining and presenting energy consumption information of applications, according to one embodiment. Under this scenario, an online service such as an online store  115  is configured to provide energy consumption information as part of the information that is supplied to users during purchase of applications (for download). In one embodiment, the runtime module  205  performs the process  400  and is implemented in, for instance, a chip set including a processor and a memory as shown  FIG. 8 . When selecting an application  107  to download from the online store  115 , a user of the UE  101  may wish to ascertain information relating to the effect that the application  107  will have on the energy consumption (e.g., battery life) of the UE  101 . Energy consumption information can be determined for the application  107  based on information from various UEs  101  within system  100  or via measurement and testing conducted by the application energy consumption platform  103 . 
     At step  401 , the runtime module  205  receives energy consumption information regarding the application  107  from one or more user equipments  101  via energy consumption modules  109 . The energy consumption information can include baseline values of the energy consumption of the application  107  on one or more types of UEs  101 . For example, the energy consumption information can be specific to the type (e.g., a model of a mobile terminal) of UE  101  of the UE  101 . 
     Then, at step  403 , the runtime module  205  can determine energy consumption information for the application  107  or a plurality of applications  107  configured to be executed on the UE  101 . The energy consumption information can be determined based on the received energy consumption information (e.g., based on baselines as discussed in the processes of  FIG. 3 ). The received energy consumption information can be used as the basis for determining community average energy consumption baselines and information for the application  107 . According to certain embodiments, communities can be grouped according to hierarchies. As such, the one community can include all users or all registered users of the application energy consumption platform  103 . Other communities can be individualized to a user. For example, a community could be based on common attributes about users in the community such as country of residence, age, used applications, etc. Community average energy consumption information can be determined by averaging or performing a statistical analysis on data from multiple sources. In one example, the energy consumption information is based on a UE  101  type. The energy consumption information can be accumulated from UEs  101  reporting energy consumption information from each UE  101 . The runtime module  205  can then determine baselines for the application  107  alone and in conjunction with other applications  107 . Once baselines are determined for an application  107 , the runtime module  205  can determine the energy consumption information for that application  107 . For example, the energy consumption information can include the amount of time a particular type of UE  101  can run the application  107  on a fully charged battery. In another example, the energy consumption information can include the amount of time the UE  101  can run the application  107  on a fully charged battery if certain other applications  107  and/or actions were also being executed. Additionally, the energy consumption information can include a rating of the energy consumption rate of the application  107 . 
     Next, at step  405 , the runtime module  205  can associate the energy consumption information with the application  107 . Once the baselines are determined, the energy consumption information (e.g., an energy rate or an energy consumption rating) can be associated with the application  107 . The energy consumption information can be associated with the application  107  by storing the associated information in a memory or a database. 
     At step  407 , the application  107  can be offered via the online store  115  for free, for a price, via subscription, etc. UEs  101  can download or order applications from the online store  115 . At step  409 , the online store  115  can initiate presentation of the energy consumption information in conjunction with the application  107 . The energy consumption information can be appropriately formatted for presentation via UE  101  to the user. In one embodiment, the presentation can include ratings for each of the applications  107  based on the energy consumption information. In one example, an icon or other visual indicator representing the application  107  can be color coded, with predetermined colors based on the ratings. In another example, the online store  115  can sort the presentation of multiple applications based on the energy efficiency of the applications  107 . Thus, a user is provided the opportunity to select an application  107  based on the energy efficiency of the application  107 . For example, a list of applications  107  that perform similar functions can be presented to a user with the associated power rating. This can encourage application makers to develop more efficient applications  107  because users may choose more efficient applications  107  to save on battery life or energy costs. Moreover, the offering of energy efficient applications  107  can be tied to the price of the application or the profit margin split between the online store  115  and the developers. For example, to encourage more efficient applications  107 , the online store  115  can offer additional compensation to developers who meet certain energy consumption requirements. 
     With the above approach, a user is provided application  107  and action level power feedback. Providing this feedback to a user can allow the user to choose which application  107  to download and utilize from an online store  115  based on the required energy consumption of the UE  101 . This can also spur the creation of more energy efficient applications  107  because application developers may need to compete with other application developers to provide more efficient applications  107  that appeal to users. 
       FIG. 5  is a flowchart of a process for determining and presenting energy consumption information of filtered and unfiltered actions, according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, the runtime module  205  performs the process  500  and is implemented in, for instance, a chip set including a processor and a memory as shown  FIG. 8 . It can be beneficial to provide energy consumption information and choices to a user based on an action the user may want to complete on the UE  101 . Such actions could involve the display rich content such as JAVASCRIPT, flash, animated images, etc. that use a substantial amount of resources of a UE  101 . The use of these resources in turn leads to a greater rate of energy consumption. In certain scenarios, the user would rather use fewer resources and receive less rich content. The user can be provided a filtered and unfiltered web page option to select from based on energy consumption. In one embodiment, the action involves the execution of a web link page. When the user of the UE  101  wishes to view energy consumption information regarding a particular web link, the user can activate an option to view the energy consumption information (e.g., by hovering over a visual indicator associated with the web link). 
     At step  501 , the activation causes the runtime module  205  to retrieve a web link page source from an associated web server. The runtime module  205  then determines filtered and unfiltered energy consumption costs based on the resources needed to fetch, render, and view the web link. Filters used can be based on one or more scripts that can be executed by a web browser. The scripts can be used to block images, animated images, flash, JAVASCRIPT, advertisements, etc. from being downloaded and/or rendered by the UE  101 . Scripts can be downloaded from a website to a UE  101  and then can be stored on a memory of the UE  101 . Additionally, the scripts can include or can be modified to include user parameters (e.g., preferred font sizes, preferred image sizes, etc.) and/or be customized for a particular type of UE  101 . The runtime module  205  can determine an estimate of power consumption of the UE  101  if the web link is activated based on estimated power consumption of components of the UE  101  that the web link may utilize. 
     At step  503 , the runtime module  205  can estimate the power consumption used to download a filtered and/or an unfiltered web page. This power consumption can be estimated based on the amount of data that needs to be transferred for the filtered or unfiltered web page, an average download speed, and an average power consumption rate of a network or communication interface of the UE  101  that is being used to download the web page content. A total amount of data can be calculated from the page source of the web link and/or filtering information as to which portions of the web link to download. The power consumption rate of the network interface can be determined by a power meter associated with the network interface. Additionally, the runtime module  205  can store power meter readings in a memory  207  and use the stored information to determine the average (e.g., a mean, median, etc.) network interface power consumption rate. An average download speed can be calculated based on recent network activity by storing download rates for recent network activity in a memory  207  and using that information to determine an average download rate. The total amount of data divided by the average download speed provides an estimated download time. The estimated download time times the average power consumption rate provides an estimated energy usage. This estimated download energy usage can be used to determine other energy consumption information such as how much battery life the action of activating the web link will consume. 
     Next, at step  505 , the runtime module  205  can estimate the power consumption of displaying and scrolling need to view a filtered and/or an unfiltered web page. The power consumption may be estimated by calculating a ratio of the dimensions of the navigable area (e.g., based on pixels) when the page is rendered in the web browser to the available screen viewing space of the UE  101  (e.g., based on pixels) and determining power consumption information of the components used to display the web page (e.g., a processor, a graphical processor, a display). The navigable area can be determined based on the filtered or unfiltered web page source information in conjunction with information about which content (e.g., images, flash, etc.) is to be downloaded and rendered based on any applicable filtering scripts and in conjunction with user preferences or setting parameters (e.g., font size). This ratio provides the amount of full screens that may be needed to view the entire contents of the web page. A penalty factor (e.g., 1.5) can be multiplied to the ratio to provide for the undesirability of certain attributes (e.g., the need for multi-dimensional scrolling). This weighted ratio can be used to determine an estimated scrolling time of the web page by multiplying a predetermined time constant (e.g., 3 s to scroll to a new section) to the ratio. The scrolling time can be multiplied by the average power consumption of the components used to display the web page to determine scrolling power consumption information. Each component (e.g., display, processor, graphical processor, etc.) can have an individual power meter that can be used to provide power information that can be stored in memory  207  and be used to provide an average power consumption rate of the component. 
     Then, at step  507 , the runtime module  205  can estimate a viewing time power consumption of the filtered and/or unfiltered web page. An estimated viewing time can be calculated by adding a user reading time, a user image and graphics viewing time. A total number of viewable words can be determined from the page source. This number of viewable words can be divided by a user reading speed rate (e.g., words read per second), which can be a predetermined constant value that can be set by the user, to determine a reading time. The duration of any video or animated images can be added to a predetermined time constant multiplier (e.g., in seconds) times a number of viewable images to determine an image and graphics viewing time. The reading time and user image and graphics viewing time can be multiplied with the average power consumption rate of components used to display the content to determine estimated viewing time power consumption. Estimated energy consumption information can be determined by adding the power consumption of the estimated download power consumption, the estimated scrolling power consumption, and estimated viewing time power consumption. 
     Next, at step  509 , the runtime module  205  may present the energy consumption information for the filtered and/or unfiltered web page. This estimated energy consumption information can be used to determine advisory information and other information about the filtered and unfiltered web pages. The presented information can include presentation of the remaining battery life if the link was clicked in either the filtered or unfiltered mode. Additionally or alternatively, the link can be color coded to indicate the magnitude of power consumption of the link. In one example, if a video file is to be displayed on the web link, the link can be color coded red to indicate a greater level of power consumption. In another example, a text file can be colored green to represent a low level of power consumption. 
     Additionally, when a filtering script is activated on a UE  101 , the runtime module  205  can determine how long the page was actually viewed, the amount of scrolling involved, and the download time. This data can be used to improve the accuracy of the power consumption estimates. In this example, multipliers related to the energy estimates can be dynamic based on the gathered historical information instead of a predetermined or a user parameter. For example, the average download time can be modified to include the historical information in the average. This information can also be communicated to a application energy consumption platform  103  to allow the application energy consumption platform  103  to gather more data about the UE  101  and the action. 
     Under the above approach, a user is provided energy consumption information of actions (e.g., clicking on a web link) the user may wish to perform. Additionally or alternatively, the user is provided information of the energy consumption of a filtered or unfiltered version of a web link. According to the above approach, battery life of the user&#39;s UE  101  can be improved by allowing the user to select a power optimized filter to view the web link. 
       FIG. 6A  is a diagram of a user interface  600  utilized in the processes of  FIG. 3 , according to one embodiment. User interface  600  displays a home screen for a UE  101  that allows for the presentation of energy consumption information to a user. The user interface  600  displays a recently or commonly used actions and/or applications bar  601  that provides visual indicators (e.g., icons) of recently or commonly used programs. Icon  603  represents a positioning and mapping application. An energy consumption module  109  associated with the UE  101  can calculate the remaining battery life if the positioning and mapping application  107  was activated. As shown, the estimated battery life would be 1 hour and 12 minutes if this application  107  was activated. The user interface  600  also includes information about active applications  107  and actions, such as a calendar application  607 . The user interface  600  shows a current battery life estimate  609  of 8 hours and 12 minutes with the calendar application  607  running and a battery life estimate  609  of 10 hours and 14 minutes if the calendar application  607  were deactivated. 
     In one embodiment, visual indicators (e.g., icons or text) associated with the applications bar  601  can be tinted based on a predetermined color coding to present energy consumption information to a user. For example, an application  107  or action that uses more energy can be tinted red while an application  107  or action that uses less energy can be tinted green. Additionally, the home screen of the UE  101  can have a background wallpaper that changes color to reflect the energy usage of the UE  101 . For example, the background wallpaper can be tinted green when a small amount of energy is being consumed, yellow when a moderate amount of energy is being consumed, and red when a great amount of energy is being consumed. Moreover, the user may change performance and power settings of an action or application via performing a gesture (e.g., a right mouse click) on a visual indicator or by performing another gesture (e.g., rotating the UE  101  or using other haptic technology) associated with the application  107 . In one scenario, the visual indicator could be a messaging application  611  and the parameters could be the frequency of checking messages. A single gesture, such as a sliding gesture on a sliding interface  613  can be used to change frequency parameters (e.g., from a 5 second synchronization to a 10 minute synchronization). Moreover, additional input mechanisms can be utilized to change energy consumption settings, such as a voice command using a microphone of the UE  101  or any other setting input change setting made available by the application  107 . 
       FIG. 6B  is a diagram of a user interface  620  utilized in the processes of  FIG. 3 , according to one embodiment. The user interface  620  displays energy consumption information to a user indicating the power consumption of bookmarks. Bookmarks  621 ,  623 ,  625 ,  627  can be color coded (not shown) to display the energy consumption associated with the activation of a bookmark action. For example, a video link  621  can have a red tint to represent that the video link  621  consumes a large amount of energy, while an audio link  623  or flash link  625  is associated with a yellow tint representing that these links consume a moderate amount of energy and a text link  627  can be associated with a green color representing that the text link  627  uses a small amount of energy. Additionally, the links can be associated with battery life estimate values. For example, clicking on the video link  621  can reduce the battery life of the UE  101  to 1 hour and 5 minutes. Additionally, the processes allow for other file and link management user interfaces, such as a file manager, or an active web page to be used instead of a bookmark list. 
       FIG. 6C  is a diagram of a user interface  640  utilized in the processes of  FIGS. 3 and 5 , according to various embodiments. The user interface  640  displays links on a web browser associated with a UE  101 . The links can be shaded or tinted using different colors as described in  FIGS. 6A and 6B  representing the power consumption of the UE  101  if the link was activated. Links  641 ,  643 ,  645 ,  647 ,  649 , and  651  may be associated with a green tinting because the links lead to a text-based web page. Moreover, link  653  may be associated with a yellow tinting because the link leads to an audio recording that uses a moderate amount of energy consumption. Further, link  655  may be tinted a red to represent a large amount of energy consumption because the link leads to a video, which can consume a great deal of energy. 
       FIG. 6D  is a diagram of a user interface  660  utilized in the processes of  FIG. 4 , according to one embodiment. The user interface  660  displays an interface to online store  115 . The online store  115  can offer for download a plurality of applications  661 ,  663 ,  665 ,  667 ,  669 ,  671 . The applications  661 ,  663 ,  665 ,  667 ,  669 ,  671  can be presented in a manner that displays energy consumption information (e.g., an energy consumption battery life if the application was running on a full battery charge). For example, a messaging application  665  can run for 12 hours and 32 minutes on the particular type of UE  101  that the user is currently using based on a full battery charge. The UE  101  type can be provided by the user to the online store  115  to allow the online store  115  to provide UE  101  specific information. Alternatively or additionally, the applications  661 ,  663 ,  665 ,  667 ,  669 ,  671  can be tinted a color based on the energy consumption of the particular application. 
     The processes described herein for providing measurement and visualization of the energy consumption of applications and actions may be advantageously implemented via software, hardware (e.g., general processor, Digital Signal Processing (DSP) chip, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), etc.), firmware or a combination thereof. Such exemplary hardware for performing the described functions is detailed below. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a computer system  700  upon which an embodiment of the invention may be implemented. Although computer system  700  is depicted with respect to a particular device or equipment, it is contemplated that other devices or equipment (e.g., network elements, servers, etc.) within  FIG. 7  can deploy the illustrated hardware and components of system  700 . Computer system  700  is programmed (e.g., via computer program code or instructions) to measure and visualize energy consumption of applications and actions as described herein and includes a communication mechanism such as a bus  710  for passing information between other internal and external components of the computer system  700 . Information (also called data) is represented as a physical expression of a measurable phenomenon, typically electric voltages, but including, in other embodiments, such phenomena as magnetic, electromagnetic, pressure, chemical, biological, molecular, atomic, sub-atomic and quantum interactions. For example, north and south magnetic fields, or a zero and non-zero electric voltage, represent two states (0, 1) of a binary digit (bit). Other phenomena can represent digits of a higher base. A superposition of multiple simultaneous quantum states before measurement represents a quantum bit (qubit). A sequence of one or more digits constitutes digital data that is used to represent a number or code for a character. In some embodiments, information called analog data is represented by a near continuum of measurable values within a particular range. Computer system  700 , or a portion thereof, constitutes a means for performing one or more steps of measuring and visualizing energy consumption of applications and actions. 
     A bus  710  includes one or more parallel conductors of information so that information is transferred quickly among devices coupled to the bus  710 . One or more processors  702  for processing information are coupled with the bus  710 . 
     A processor  702  performs a set of operations on information as specified by computer program code related to measuring and visualizing energy consumption of applications and actions. The computer program code is a set of instructions or statements providing instructions for the operation of the processor and/or the computer system to perform specified functions. The code, for example, may be written in a computer programming language that is compiled into a native instruction set of the processor. The code may also be written directly using the native instruction set (e.g., machine language). The set of operations include bringing information in from the bus  710  and placing information on the bus  710 . The set of operations also typically include comparing two or more units of information, shifting positions of units of information, and combining two or more units of information, such as by addition or multiplication or logical operations like OR, exclusive OR (XOR), and AND. Each operation of the set of operations that can be performed by the processor is represented to the processor by information called instructions, such as an operation code of one or more digits. A sequence of operations to be executed by the processor  702 , such as a sequence of operation codes, constitute processor instructions, also called computer system instructions or, simply, computer instructions. Processors may be implemented as mechanical, electrical, magnetic, optical, chemical or quantum components, among others, alone or in combination. 
     Computer system  700  also includes a memory  704  coupled to bus  710 . The memory  704 , such as a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device, stores information including processor instructions for measuring and visualizing energy consumption of applications and actions. Dynamic memory allows information stored therein to be changed by the computer system  700 . RAM allows a unit of information stored at a location called a memory address to be stored and retrieved independently of information at neighboring addresses. The memory  704  is also used by the processor  702  to store temporary values during execution of processor instructions. The computer system  700  also includes a read only memory (ROM)  706  or other static storage device coupled to the bus  710  for storing static information, including instructions, that is not changed by the computer system  700 . Some memory is composed of volatile storage that loses the information stored thereon when power is lost. Also coupled to bus  710  is a non-volatile (persistent) storage device  708 , such as a magnetic disk, optical disk or flash card, for storing information, including instructions, that persists even when the computer system  700  is turned off or otherwise loses power. 
     Information, including instructions for measuring and visualizing energy consumption of applications and actions, is provided to the bus  710  for use by the processor from an external input device  712 , such as a keyboard containing alphanumeric keys operated by a human user, or a sensor. A sensor detects conditions in its vicinity and transforms those detections into physical expression compatible with the measurable phenomenon used to represent information in computer system  700 . Other external devices coupled to bus  710 , used primarily for interacting with humans, include a display device  714 , such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) or a liquid crystal display (LCD), or plasma screen or printer for presenting text or images, and a pointing device  716 , such as a mouse or a trackball or cursor direction keys, or motion sensor, for controlling a position of a small cursor image presented on the display  714  and issuing commands associated with graphical elements presented on the display  714 . In some embodiments, for example, in embodiments in which the computer system  700  performs all functions automatically without human input, one or more of external input device  712 , display device  714  and pointing device  716  is omitted. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, special purpose hardware, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)  720 , is coupled to bus  710 . The special purpose hardware is configured to perform operations not performed by processor  702  quickly enough for special purposes. Examples of application specific ICs include graphics accelerator cards for generating images for display  714 , cryptographic boards for encrypting and decrypting messages sent over a network, speech recognition, and interfaces to special external devices, such as robotic arms and medical scanning equipment that repeatedly perform some complex sequence of operations that are more efficiently implemented in hardware. 
     Computer system  700  also includes one or more instances of a communications interface  770  coupled to bus  710 . Communication interface  770  provides a one-way or two-way communication coupling to a variety of external devices that operate with their own processors, such as printers, scanners and external disks. In general the coupling is with a network link  778  that is connected to a local network  780  to which a variety of external devices with their own processors are connected. For example, communication interface  770  may be a parallel port or a serial port or a universal serial bus (USB) port on a personal computer. In some embodiments, communications interface  770  is an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card or a digital subscriber line (DSL) card or a telephone modem that provides an information communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. In some embodiments, a communication interface  770  is a cable modem that converts signals on bus  710  into signals for a communication connection over a coaxial cable or into optical signals for a communication connection over a fiber optic cable. As another example, communications interface  770  may be a local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a compatible LAN, such as Ethernet. Wireless links may also be implemented. For wireless links, the communications interface  770  sends or receives or both sends and receives electrical, acoustic or electromagnetic signals, including infrared and optical signals, that carry information streams, such as digital data. For example, in wireless handheld devices, such as mobile telephones like cell phones, the communications interface  770  includes a radio band electromagnetic transmitter and receiver called a radio transceiver. In certain embodiments, the communications interface  770  enables connection to the communication network  105  for providing energy consumption information to the UE  101 . 
     The term computer-readable medium is used herein to refer to any medium that participates in providing information to processor  702 , including instructions for execution. Such a medium may take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media and transmission media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as storage device  708 . Volatile media include, for example, dynamic memory  704 . Transmission media include, for example, coaxial cables, copper wire, fiber optic cables, and carrier waves that travel through space without wires or cables, such as acoustic waves and electromagnetic waves, including radio, optical and infrared waves. Signals include man-made transient variations in amplitude, frequency, phase, polarization or other physical properties transmitted through the transmission media. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, CDRW, DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, optical mark sheets, any other physical medium with patterns of holes or other optically recognizable indicia, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave, or any other medium from which a computer can read. The term computer-readable storage medium is used herein to refer to any computer-readable medium except transmission media. 
     Logic encoded in one or more tangible media includes one or both of processor instructions on a computer-readable storage media and special purpose hardware, such as ASIC  720 . 
     Network link  778  typically provides information communication using transmission media through one or more networks to other devices that use or process the information. For example, network link  778  may provide a connection through local network  780  to a host computer  782  or to equipment  784  operated by an Internet Service Provider (ISP). ISP equipment  784  in turn provides data communication services through the public, world-wide packet-switching communication network of networks now commonly referred to as the Internet  790 . 
     A computer called a server host  792  connected to the Internet hosts a process that provides a service in response to information received over the Internet. For example, server host  792  hosts a process that provides information representing video data for presentation at display  714 . It is contemplated that the components of system  700  can be deployed in various configurations within other computer systems, e.g., host  782  and server  792 . 
     At least some embodiments of the invention are related to the use of computer system  700  for implementing some or all of the techniques described herein. According to one embodiment of the invention, those techniques are performed by computer system  700  in response to processor  702  executing one or more sequences of one or more processor instructions contained in memory  704 . Such instructions, also called computer instructions, software and program code, may be read into memory  704  from another computer-readable medium such as storage device  708  or network link  778 . Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in memory  704  causes processor  702  to perform one or more of the method steps described herein. In alternative embodiments, hardware, such as ASIC  720 , may be used in place of or in combination with software to implement the invention. Thus, embodiments of the invention are not limited to any specific combination of hardware and software, unless otherwise explicitly stated herein. 
     The signals transmitted over network link  778  and other networks through communications interface  770 , carry information to and from computer system  700 . Computer system  700  can send and receive information, including program code, through the networks  780 ,  790  among others, through network link  778  and communications interface  770 . In an example using the Internet  790 , a server host  792  transmits program code for a particular application, requested by a message sent from computer  700 , through Internet  790 , ISP equipment  784 , local network  780  and communications interface  770 . The received code may be executed by processor  702  as it is received, or may be stored in memory  704  or in storage device  708  or other non-volatile storage for later execution, or both. In this manner, computer system  700  may obtain application program code in the form of signals on a carrier wave. 
     Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying one or more sequence of instructions or data or both to processor  702  for execution. For example, instructions and data may initially be carried on a magnetic disk of a remote computer such as host  782 . The remote computer loads the instructions and data into its dynamic memory and sends the instructions and data over a telephone line using a modem. A modem local to the computer system  700  receives the instructions and data on a telephone line and uses an infra-red transmitter to convert the instructions and data to a signal on an infra-red carrier wave serving as the network link  778 . An infrared detector serving as communications interface  770  receives the instructions and data carried in the infrared signal and places information representing the instructions and data onto bus  710 . Bus  710  carries the information to memory  704  from which processor  702  retrieves and executes the instructions using some of the data sent with the instructions. The instructions and data received in memory  704  may optionally be stored on storage device  708 , either before or after execution by the processor  702 . 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a chip set  800  upon which an embodiment of the invention may be implemented. Chip set  800  is programmed to measure and visualize energy consumption of applications and actions as described herein and includes, for instance, the processor and memory components described with respect to  FIG. 7  incorporated in one or more physical packages (e.g., chips). By way of example, a physical package includes an arrangement of one or more materials, components, and/or wires on a structural assembly (e.g., a baseboard) to provide one or more characteristics such as physical strength, conservation of size, and/or limitation of electrical interaction. It is contemplated that in certain embodiments the chip set can be implemented in a single chip. Chip set  800 , or a portion thereof, constitutes a means for performing one or more steps of measuring and visualizing energy consumption of applications and actions. 
     In one embodiment, the chip set  800  includes a communication mechanism such as a bus  801  for passing information among the components of the chip set  800 . A processor  803  has connectivity to the bus  801  to execute instructions and process information stored in, for example, a memory  805 . The processor  803  may include one or more processing cores with each core configured to perform independently. A multi-core processor enables multiprocessing within a single physical package. Examples of a multi-core processor include two, four, eight, or greater numbers of processing cores. Alternatively or in addition, the processor  803  may include one or more microprocessors configured in tandem via the bus  801  to enable independent execution of instructions, pipelining, and multithreading. The processor  803  may also be accompanied with one or more specialized components to perform certain processing functions and tasks such as one or more digital signal processors (DSP)  807 , or one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC)  809 . A DSP  807  typically is configured to process real-world signals (e.g., sound) in real time independently of the processor  803 . Similarly, an ASIC  809  can be configured to performed specialized functions not easily performed by a general purposed processor. Other specialized components to aid in performing the inventive functions described herein include one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) (not shown), one or more controllers (not shown), or one or more other special-purpose computer chips. 
     The processor  803  and accompanying components have connectivity to the memory  805  via the bus  801 . The memory  805  includes both dynamic memory (e.g., RAM, magnetic disk, writable optical disk, etc.) and static memory (e.g., ROM, CD-ROM, etc.) for storing executable instructions that when executed perform the inventive steps described herein to measure and visualize energy consumption of applications and actions. The memory  805  also stores the data associated with or generated by the execution of the inventive steps. 
       FIG. 9  is a diagram of exemplary components of a mobile terminal (e.g., handset) for communications, which is capable of operating in the system of  FIG. 1 , according to one embodiment. In some embodiments, mobile terminal  900 , or a portion thereof, constitutes a means for performing one or more steps of measuring and visualizing energy consumption of applications and actions. Generally, a radio receiver is often defined in terms of front-end and back-end characteristics. The front-end of the receiver encompasses all of the Radio Frequency (RF) circuitry whereas the back-end encompasses all of the base-band processing circuitry. As used in this application, the term “circuitry” refers to both: (1) hardware-only implementations (such as implementations in only analog and/or digital circuitry), and (2) to combinations of circuitry and software (and/or firmware) (such as to a combination of processor(s), including digital signal processor(s), software, and memory(ies) that work together to cause an apparatus, such as a mobile phone or server, to perform various functions). This definition of “circuitry” applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term “circuitry” would also cover an implementation of merely a processor (or multiple processors) and its (or their) accompanying software/or firmware. The term “circuitry” would also cover, for example, a baseband integrated circuit or applications processor integrated circuit in a mobile phone or a similar integrated circuit in a cellular network device or other network devices. 
     Pertinent internal components of the telephone include a Main Control Unit (MCU)  903 , a Digital Signal Processor (DSP)  905 , and a receiver/transmitter unit including a microphone gain control unit and a speaker gain control unit. A main display unit  907  provides a display to the user in support of various applications and mobile terminal functions that perform or support the steps of measuring and visualizing energy consumption of applications and actions. The display unit  907  includes display circuitry configured to display at least a portion of a user interface of the mobile terminal (e.g., mobile telephone). Additionally, the display unit  907  and display circuitry are configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile terminal. An audio function circuitry  909  includes a microphone  911  and microphone amplifier that amplifies the speech signal output from the microphone  911 . The amplified speech signal output from the microphone  911  is fed to a coder/decoder (CODEC)  913 . 
     A radio section  915  amplifies power and converts frequency in order to communicate with a base station, which is included in a mobile communication system, via antenna  917 . The power amplifier (PA)  919  and the transmitter/modulation circuitry are operationally responsive to the MCU  903 , with an output from the PA  919  coupled to the duplexer  921  or circulator or antenna switch, as known in the art. The PA  919  also couples to a battery interface and power control unit  920 . 
     In use, a user of mobile terminal  901  speaks into the microphone  911  and his or her voice along with any detected background noise is converted into an analog voltage. The analog voltage is then converted into a digital signal through the Analog to Digital Converter (ADC)  923 . The control unit  903  routes the digital signal into the DSP  905  for processing therein, such as speech encoding, channel encoding, encrypting, and interleaving. In one embodiment, the processed voice signals are encoded, by units not separately shown, using a cellular transmission protocol such as global evolution (EDGE), general packet radio service (GPRS), global system for mobile communications (GSM), Internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), etc., as well as any other suitable wireless medium, e.g., microwave access (WiMAX), Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), wireless fidelity (WiFi), satellite, and the like. 
     The encoded signals are then routed to an equalizer  925  for compensation of any frequency-dependent impairments that occur during transmission though the air such as phase and amplitude distortion. After equalizing the bit stream, the modulator  927  combines the signal with a RF signal generated in the RF interface  929 . The modulator  927  generates a sine wave by way of frequency or phase modulation. In order to prepare the signal for transmission, an up-converter  931  combines the sine wave output from the modulator  927  with another sine wave generated by a synthesizer  933  to achieve the desired frequency of transmission. The signal is then sent through a PA  919  to increase the signal to an appropriate power level. In practical systems, the PA  919  acts as a variable gain amplifier whose gain is controlled by the DSP  905  from information received from a network base station. The signal is then filtered within the duplexer  921  and optionally sent to an antenna coupler  935  to match impedances to provide maximum power transfer. Finally, the signal is transmitted via antenna  917  to a local base station. An automatic gain control (AGC) can be supplied to control the gain of the final stages of the receiver. The signals may be forwarded from there to a remote telephone which may be another cellular telephone, other mobile phone or a land-line connected to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or other telephony networks. 
     Voice signals transmitted to the mobile terminal  901  are received via antenna  917  and immediately amplified by a low noise amplifier (LNA)  937 . A down-converter  939  lowers the carrier frequency while the demodulator  941  strips away the RF leaving only a digital bit stream. The signal then goes through the equalizer  925  and is processed by the DSP  905 . A Digital to Analog Converter (DAC)  943  converts the signal and the resulting output is transmitted to the user through the speaker  945 , all under control of a Main Control Unit (MCU)  903 —which can be implemented as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) (not shown). 
     The MCU  903  receives various signals including input signals from the keyboard  947 . The keyboard  947  and/or the MCU  903  in combination with other user input components (e.g., the microphone  911 ) comprise a user interface circuitry for managing user input. The MCU  903  runs a user interface software to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile terminal  901  to measure and visualize energy consumption of applications and actions. The MCU  903  also delivers a display command and a switch command to the display  907  and to the speech output switching controller, respectively. Further, the MCU  903  exchanges information with the DSP  905  and can access an optionally incorporated SIM card  949  and a memory  951 . In addition, the MCU  903  executes various control functions required of the terminal. The DSP  905  may, depending upon the implementation, perform any of a variety of conventional digital processing functions on the voice signals. Additionally, DSP  905  determines the background noise level of the local environment from the signals detected by microphone  911  and sets the gain of microphone  911  to a level selected to compensate for the natural tendency of the user of the mobile terminal  901 . 
     The CODEC  913  includes the ADC  923  and DAC  943 . The memory  951  stores various data including call incoming tone data and is capable of storing other data including music data received via, e.g., the global Internet. The software module could reside in RAM memory, flash memory, registers, or any other form of writable storage medium known in the art. The memory device  951  may be, but not limited to, a single memory, CD, DVD, ROM, RAM, EEPROM, optical storage, or any other non-volatile storage medium capable of storing digital data. 
     An optionally incorporated SIM card  949  carries, for instance, important information, such as the cellular phone number, the carrier supplying service, subscription details, and security information. The SIM card  949  serves primarily to identify the mobile terminal  901  on a radio network. The card  949  also contains a memory for storing a personal telephone number registry, text messages, and user specific mobile terminal settings. 
     While the invention has been described in connection with a number of embodiments and implementations, the invention is not so limited but covers various obvious modifications and equivalent arrangements, which fall within the purview of the appended claims. Although features of the invention are expressed in certain combinations among the claims, it is contemplated that these features can be arranged in any combination and order.