Methods for analyzing and presenting application usage.

Abstract

One objective of the embodiments of the present invention is to accurately calculate the actual usage of applications, including cloud infrastructure, by users and enable reasonable pricing. To achieve this, a method for presenting application usage data according to one embodiment of the present invention is a method for analyzing and presenting application usage data, comprising the steps of: receiving usage analysis data relating to the usage of an application to be analyzed running on a user device from each of a plurality of user devices belonging to an organization, wherein the usage analysis data is collected by a usage analysis application running on each of the plurality of user devices based on the display state of the graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to the application running on the user device; generating statistical data relating to the usage of the application to be analyzed based on the usage analysis data collected from each of the plurality of user devices; and presenting the statistical data to a designated device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for analyzing and presenting application usage, and more specifically, to a method for collecting data on the usage of applications by specific institutions or individuals, analyzing the collected data, and presenting it to the user interface of a specified device.

Background Art

[0002] Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) provide cloud infrastructure to users, enabling users to utilize desired application services via the cloud infrastructure without directly installing applications on their user devices.

[0003] Cloud Managed Service Providers (MSPs) form partnerships with CSPs and are responsible for optimizing and providing CSP cloud services according to the environments of various organizations, such as enterprises, public institutions, schools, and individuals, as well as providing maintenance and management. For example, an MSP can form partnerships with multiple CSPs and recommend the most suitable service combinations (such as not only recommendations for cloud products provided by each CSP but also hybrid clouds, multi-clouds, etc.) for a specific organization from the services provided by CSP partners.

[0004] In such a cloud era, some CSPs (e.g., Amazon (registered trademark) virtual servers) adopt a method of charging cloud infrastructure usage fees for the entire time from when a user starts using a cloud service until the end. However, in such a fee charging method, even when a user is not actually using the cloud service, fees will be generated just because the user has started using it, which has an adverse aspect for the user.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, one objective of the present invention is to accurately calculate the actual usage of applications, including cloud infrastructure, by users and to enable reasonable pricing.

[0006] However, the problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to those described above, and may include objectives that can be clearly understood by a person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs from the following descriptions that are not mentioned. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A method for analyzing and presenting application usage data according to one embodiment of the present invention is a method for analyzing and presenting application usage data, comprising the steps of: receiving usage analysis data relating to the usage of an application to be analyzed running on a user device from each of a plurality of user devices belonging to an organization (the usage analysis data is collected by a usage analysis application running on each of the plurality of user devices based on the display state of the graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to the application running on the user device); generating statistical data relating to the usage of the application to be analyzed based on the usage analysis data collected from each of the plurality of user devices; and presenting the statistical data to a designated device, wherein the usage analysis application displays the graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to the application running on the user device. A method for analyzing and presenting application usage, comprising: collecting the usage analysis data based on the display state of a user interface (GUI), running the usage analysis application on the user device; starting session monitoring for the user device using the usage analysis application; determining the application to be analyzed from among multiple applications on the user device for which the collection process will be executed using the usage analysis application (the determination of the application to be analyzed includes sequentially determining whether each application currently running on the user device is included in a pre-configured monitoring application list); executing the collection process for the application to be analyzed using the usage analysis application and generating usage analysis data; and transmitting the usage analysis data to a management server using the usage analysis application.

[0008] The method for analyzing and presenting application usage data as described above, wherein in the step of presenting the statistical data to a designated device, the statistical data includes at least one of comparative statistical data between groups of application products to be analyzed, comparative statistical data between applications constituting a specific group of application products to be analyzed, and comparative statistical data between all applications to be analyzed, as described in claim 1.

[0009] The method for analyzing and presenting application usage data as described above, wherein the step of presenting the statistical data to a designated device includes the step of presenting a user interface to the designated device for presenting comparative data regarding the number of user devices that used one or more application products under analysis and the number of user devices that did not use them during a predetermined period, as described in claim 1.

[0010] The method for analyzing and presenting application usage data as described above, wherein the step of presenting the statistical data to a designated device includes the step of presenting a user interface to the designated device for presenting comparative data regarding the number of user devices that used each application constituting a specific group of application products under analysis and the number of user devices that did not use such applications, which are executed within the organization during a predetermined period, as described in claim 1.

[0011] The method for analyzing and presenting application usage data as described above, wherein the step of presenting the statistical data to a designated device includes the step of presenting a user interface to the designated device for presenting comparative data regarding the number of user devices that used each application constituting all application products under analysis performed within the organization during a predetermined period and the number of user devices that did not use the application.

[0012] The method for analyzing and presenting application usage data as described above, wherein the step of presenting the statistical data to a designated device includes the step of presenting a user interface to the designated device for presenting data relating to the maximum and minimum number of user devices using one or more application products under analysis executed within the organization, on a daily basis during a predetermined period, according to claim 1.

[0013] The method for analyzing and presenting application usage data as described above, wherein the step of presenting the statistical data to a designated device includes the step of presenting a user interface to the designated device that displays the daily usage of an application or group of application products to be analyzed, which is pre-configured within the organization, via a calendar, according to claim 1.

[0014] The method for analyzing and presenting application usage data as described above, further comprising the step of presenting a user interface for adding or removing the applications to be analyzed, according to claim 1.

[0015] An apparatus for implementing a method for analyzing and presenting data relating to application usage according to one embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus for implementing a method for analyzing and presenting data relating to application usage, comprising a processor and a memory including computer executable instructions, wherein when the computer executable instructions are executed by the processor, the processor includes receiving usage analysis data relating to the usage of an application to be analyzed running on a user device from each of a plurality of user devices belonging to the organization (the usage analysis data is collected by a usage analysis application running on each of the plurality of user devices based on the display state of the graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to the application running on the user device), generating statistical data relating to the usage of the application to be analyzed based on the usage analysis data collected from each of the plurality of user devices, and presenting the statistical data to a designated device. A device that performs the following actions and collects the usage analysis data based on the display state of a graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to an application running on the user device: running the usage analysis application on the user device; starting session monitoring for the user device using the usage analysis application; determining an application to be analyzed from among multiple applications on the user device for which the collection process will be executed using the usage analysis application (the determination of the application to be analyzed includes sequentially determining whether each application currently running on the user device is included in a pre-configured monitoring application list); executing a collection process for the application to be analyzed using the usage analysis application and generating usage analysis data; and transmitting the usage analysis data to a management server using the usage analysis application.

[0016] A computer-readable recording medium for storing computer-executable instructions according to one embodiment of the present invention, wherein the computer-readable recording medium stores computer-executable instructions, and when the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the processor receives usage analysis data relating to the usage of an application to be analyzed executed on a user device from each of a plurality of user devices belonging to the organization (the usage analysis data is collected by a usage analysis application executed on each of the plurality of user devices based on the display state of the graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to the application executed on the user device), generates statistical data relating to the usage of the application to be analyzed based on the usage analysis data collected from each of the plurality of user devices, and executes an operation to present the statistical data to a specified device, and the usage analysis application executes on the user device Collecting usage analysis data based on the display state of a graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to an application being run includes running the usage analysis application on the user device, initiating session monitoring for the user device using the usage analysis application, determining from among multiple applications on the user device which application to be analyzed for which the collection process will be executed using the usage analysis application (the determination of the application to be analyzed includes sequentially determining whether each application currently running on the user device is included in a pre-configured monitoring application list), executing the collection process for the application to be analyzed using the usage analysis application to generate usage analysis data, and transmitting the usage analysis data to a management server using the usage analysis application, and is a computer-readable recording medium. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to embodiments of the present invention, instead of calculating application usage based on the time from application execution to termination, as in the conventional method, the actual application usage is analyzed based on the graphical user interface (GUI) of the user device. This allows for a quick understanding of the software usage of users such as companies, schools, public institutions, and individuals, and also enables the understanding of application usage patterns and habits of institutions and organizations. Furthermore, this allows for the rational calculation of application usage fees paid by institutions based on the actual amount of application usage.

[0018] However, the effects obtained from the present invention are not limited to those described above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains from the following description. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] The following drawings accompanying this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and, together with the detailed description of the invention, serve to further illustrate the technical idea of ​​the invention; therefore, the invention should not be construed as being limited solely to what is shown in these drawings.

[0020] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of a system for analyzing and providing application usage data according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an illustrative drawing showing the user interface of a usage analysis application according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is an illustrative drawing showing the user interface of a usage analysis application according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is an illustrative drawing showing the user interface of a usage analysis application according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5]An exemplary drawing showing a user interface of a usage analysis application according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] An exemplary drawing showing a user interface of a usage analysis application according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] An exemplary drawing showing a user interface of a usage analysis application according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] A flowchart explaining a method for presenting data related to the usage of an application according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] A flowchart explaining a method for collecting usage analysis data for an application according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] A diagram explaining a specific example of a collection process by a usage analysis application according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] A system for analyzing and providing application usage

[0022] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system for analyzing and providing application usage according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Referring to the system shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of user devices 10 belonging to an organization can be connected to a management server 20 via a network 15. In the example of FIG. 1, only the case where one organization connects to the management server 20 is shown, but this is merely for convenience of explanation. The management server 20 can receive and store application usage analysis data related to a plurality of organizations, and generate statistical data based on this. The administrator can manage applications for a plurality of organizations via the management server 20 and / or an administrator device 30.

[0024] On the other hand, in some cases, multiple user devices 10 may be connected to an institutional server (not shown) operated by various institutions such as companies, schools, public institutions, and research institutes, and the institutional server (not shown) may be responsible for managing the multiple user devices 10 and the data within the institution.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a usage analysis application (usage analysis app) may be run on each of the multiple user devices 10 belonging to the organization. The usage analysis application may be installed on the user device, or it may be run on the user device using external resources in a cloud-based manner. Such a usage analysis application can collect usage analysis data for at least one application determined to be the application to be analyzed from among the applications (App A, B, C, D…) running on each user device (UE1, UE2, UE3,…).

[0026] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a user device (UE1, UE2, UE3, ...) of an officer, employee, or member of an organization may be running multiple applications (App A, B, C, D, ...). Here, multiple applications running on a user device are not necessarily limited to those whose installation files are installed on the user device, but may also include applications that are provided in a cloud-based manner so that they can be run on the user device.

[0027] The application to be analyzed may be an application selected by the usage analysis application from among multiple applications running on each of the multiple user devices belonging to the organization. The application to be analyzed may be an application selected by the usage analysis application from among the monitoring applications that can be specified by the administrator via the management server 20 or administrator device 30, or that can be added and deleted. According to one embodiment, such a decision may be made based on whether a particular application is currently running, whether it is a monitoring application, and whether it has a graphical user interface (GUI). This will be described in detail later.

[0028] According to one embodiment, multiple applications running on a user device can be classified according to their respective application product groups (or categories), for example, Adobe® product groups, MS Office product groups, web browser product groups, statistical program product groups, Hancom product groups, and other product groups. Furthermore, each application product group may contain multiple applications. For example, the MS Office product group may include multiple applications such as Excel®, OneDrive®, OneNote®, and PowerPoint®. By classifying multiple applications running on a user device by application product group in this way, the usage analysis application can collect not only usage analysis data for individual applications but also usage analysis data for each application product group.

[0029] The user device 10 and the administrator device 30 are any device equipped with a display capable of showing the graphical user interface of an application, such as a personal computer (PC), laptop, tablet, mobile phone, or wearable device, and may be a device that can connect to the management server 20.

[0030] Network 15 may be a wired or wireless network, and the user device 10 may be connected to Network 15 via a wired LAN cable, or to the wireless internet at a location where a wireless access point (AP, access point) is installed via Wi-Fi®, 3G / 4G / 5G data network, or to Network 15 by wirelessly transmitting and receiving wireless signals with peripheral devices, and the specific connection method is not limited.

[0031] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the management server 20 may be a server for providing, servicing, and managing a usage analysis application. The version of the usage analysis application running on multiple user devices 10 belonging to the organization may be the same as the version running on the management server 20 or administrator device 30, or they may be different. Furthermore, the management server 20 can provide, servicing, and managing at least a portion of the multiple applications running on the user devices 10.

[0032] Furthermore, the management server 20 can receive usage analysis data regarding the usage of the target application running on each of the user devices (UE1, UE2, UE3, ...) from usage analysis applications (usage analysis apps) running on each of the user devices 10 belonging to the organization. Such usage analysis data may be collected by the usage analysis applications (usage analysis apps) based on the graphical user interface (GUI) of each user device (UE1, UE2, UE3, ...).

[0033] The usage analysis data received by the management server 20 can be processed by the management server 20 to generate statistical data. Since the usage analysis data is in a raw state, it can be processed and analyzed in various ways to generate meaningful statistical data. Furthermore, the statistical data thus generated can be displayed on the user interface of the management server 20's display.

[0034] The usage analysis data and statistical data according to one embodiment of the present invention may be used, as a non-limiting example, to provide a user interface for presenting data on the number of user devices that used one or more monitored application product sets running within an organization during a predetermined period, and the number of user devices that did not, based on measurements of actual application usage by users via the screen of a user device, i.e., a graphical user interface (GUI); or to provide a user interface for presenting data on the number of user devices that used each specific application within one or more monitored application product sets running within an organization during a predetermined period, and the number of user devices that did not; or to provide a user interface that displays the number of monitored application product sets used and the number of user devices that utilized those product sets for each date displayed on a calendar interface.

[0035] This allows organizations to understand their application usage patterns and habits based on the actual application usage of user devices belonging to the organization. Consequently, it enables effective management of the types and number of applications used on user devices within the organization, and also has the significant effect of allowing organizations to reasonably calculate application usage fees based on application usage.

[0036] Application usage analysis application user interface

[0037] Figures 2 through 7 are illustrative diagrams showing the user interface of a usage analysis application according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Referring to Figure 2, when the usage analysis application is run on the management server 20, once the administrator completes the login or authentication procedure, a user interface 101 for selecting a customer (i.e., an institution) may be presented. Such a user interface 101 for selecting an institution customer may include one or more customer information display units 103 that show the name, installation date, and number of installed devices (or number of installed PCs) for one or more institution customers. In the example in Figure 2, customer information display units 103 for three institution customers are shown, such as an institution customer named "Customer 1", with an installation date of "2022-06-18", and number of installed PCs of "4674 units", but the number of customer information display units 103 in the user interface 101 may vary depending on the actual number of institution customers.

[0039] Furthermore, the user interface 101 may include sort buttons 105 that allow the customer information display unit 103 to be sorted according to customer name, installation date, and number of installed PCs. The user interface 101 may also include an application utilization rate display selection button 106 that displays the utilization rate of each customer, for example, the utilization rate of a specific application product group, at a preset level, and an integrated chart display button 107 that displays the utilization rate of a specific application product group in chart format. For example, with the application utilization rate display selection button 106, if the utilization rate of customer 1's MS Office product group is 58.9%, the MS Office product group can be displayed in 3 stages, and if the utilization rate of the Adobe product group is 18.9%, the Adobe product group can be displayed in 1 stage, thus dividing the utilization rate into preset stages. With the integrated chart display button 107, the utilization rate can be visualized and displayed for each of customers from 1 to 3, for example, by displaying the utilization rate of the MS Office product group in a bar graph format.

[0040] Referring to Figure 3, when an administrator selects a customer of a specific organization in the user interface 101 of Figure 2, a user interface 110 may be presented that displays the daily usage of pre-configured target applications or product groups within the organization via a calendar. Such a user interface 110 may display the target application product groups used for each date and the number of user devices 113 that used those product groups. For example, for the date corresponding to December 4, 2022 in Figure 3, "Adobe products (63); MS Office products (251)" is displayed, indicating that for that customer, Adobe products were used on 63 customer user devices and MS Office products were used on 251 customer user devices. The top of the calendar may also include multiple tabs 115 that allow the user to select the target application product groups (categories) displayed in the calendar. The calendar also includes previous month buttons 116 and next month buttons 117, allowing the administrator to see at a glance not only the daily application usage for the current month but also the daily application usage for other months, depending on their selection.

[0041] Referring to Figure 3, when an administrator hovers the mouse cursor or other pointer over the "Asset Inquiry," "Usage Statistics," "Period-Based Comparative Analysis," "Utilization Report," "Product Management," "Member Management," or "System Management" items at the top of the user interface 110, or clicks on a specific item, the corresponding detailed items are expanded and selectable, and the administrator can select the desired detailed item from the expanded detailed items. These items at the top of the user interface 110 may be configured to remain visible even when the user interface is switched.

[0042] Figure 4 shows the user interface 120 displayed when an administrator selects "S / W Monitoring Target," a detailed item of "Asset Inquiry," from the upper items of the user interface 110 in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 4, one or more monitoring target applications 123 are set, categorized by application product group 121. The administrator can also add or delete monitoring target applications 123, categorized by application product group 121. For example, when an administrator wants to add a monitoring target application 123 to a specific application product group 121, the administrator can add the desired application after selecting the S / W Add button 124. Also, when an administrator wants to deselect a monitoring target application 123 that has already been designated, selecting the monitoring target application by clicking on it with the mouse or other operation will cause it to be displayed faintly as shown in the drawing reference numeral 123a, and it may be excluded from monitoring. Furthermore, when an administrator wants to add an application product group 121, the administrator can add the desired application product group after selecting the Category Add button 125.

[0043] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a user interface is provided that allows for an at-a-glance view of the applications to be monitored for software monitoring. Since the applications to be monitored can be freely added and removed through this user interface, it has the effect of enabling flexible application usage analysis.

[0044] Figure 5 shows the user interface 130 displayed when an administrator selects "Category Integrated Statistics," a detailed item of the "Usage Statistics" item, among the items at the top of the user interface 110 in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 5, when an administrator selects the data type as "PC utilization" or "General utilization" via the data type selection field 135, the user interface 130 for category integrated statistics may display the general utilization integrated statistics (category general utilization integrated statistics) 131 for the monitored application product group on one side, and the general utilization individual statistics (category general utilization individual statistics) 133 for the monitored application product group on the other side. Here, general utilization is based on the number of user devices (e.g., PCs) that used a specific application product group at least once during a predetermined period. For example, if a specific user device uses the MS Office product group at least once a week, that user device is counted, and the general utilization is calculated by counting user devices within the organization in this manner.

[0045] The General Availability Statistics 131 for monitored application product groups (or analyzed application product groups) allows for a visual comparison of the general availability of multiple monitored application product groups on a chart. For example, in the example in Figure 5, the General Availability Statistics 131 for monitored application product groups shows that the general availability of Adobe product groups and MS Office product groups account for 29% and 9% of the total availability, respectively.

[0046] The individual statistics on the general utilization rate of monitored application product groups 133 visually compare the number of user devices (e.g., PCs) used at least once during a specified period with the number of unused user devices for each of the multiple monitored application product groups. For example, in the example in Figure 5, it can be seen that for the Adobe product group, the number of "used" user devices for which general utilization is measured is 3455, while the number of "unused" user devices is 864. For the MS Office product group, the number of "used" user devices is 1612, while the number of "unused" user devices is 2707.

[0047] Furthermore, the selection of data types is performed via the first drop-down box 135b and the second drop-down box 135a, which appear when the data type selection field 135 is clicked. Administrators can then be presented with statistics on various data types via the user interface through the data type selection field 135. In one embodiment, the first drop-down box 135b allows selection of S / W usage rate, PC utilization rate, average daily usage frequency (based on actual usage period in aggregation), and average daily usage frequency (based on total aggregation time), while the second drop-down box 135a allows selection of sub-data types corresponding to the data type selected via the first drop-down box 135b. As an example, as shown in Figure 5, if "PC utilization rate" is selected via the first drop-down box 135b, then "general utilization rate," "maximum utilization rate," and "minimum utilization rate" can be selected as sub-data types via the second drop-down box 135a.

[0048] According to one embodiment, when an administrator selects "PC utilization rate" and "maximum utilization rate" as data types via the data type selection field 135, statistical data regarding the maximum number of user devices using the monitored application product group on a daily basis during a predetermined period, namely, integrated maximum utilization rate statistics and individual maximum utilization rate statistics, may be presented to the user interface.

[0049] Furthermore, if the administrator selects "PC utilization rate" or "minimum utilization rate" as the data type via the data type selection field 135, statistical data regarding the minimum number of user devices using the monitored application product group on a daily basis during a predetermined period, namely, integrated minimum utilization rate statistics and individual minimum utilization rate statistics, may be presented to the user interface.

[0050] On the other hand, if the administrator selects "S / W usage rate" as the data type via the data type selection field 135, statistical data regarding the number of days of use based on the number of user devices that used the monitored application product group at least once during a predetermined period, namely, integrated statistics on category S / W usage rate and individual statistics on category S / W usage rate, may be presented to the user interface.

[0051] Furthermore, if the administrator selects "Average Daily Usage Frequency" as the data type via the data type selection field 135, statistical data regarding the average number of user devices that used the monitored application product group in a day, namely, the integrated category average daily usage frequency statistics and the individual category average daily usage frequency statistics, may be presented to the user interface.

[0052] Figure 6 shows the user interface 140 displayed when an administrator selects "Category Detailed Statistics," which is a detailed item of "Usage Statistics," from the upper items of the user interface 110 in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 6, in the user interface 140 for Category Detailed Statistics, when "PC Utilization Rate" and "General Utilization Rate" are selected in the data type selection field, the general utilization rate detailed statistics (Specific Category S / W General Utilization Rate Detailed Statistics) 141 for each monitored application within the specific monitored application product group are presented on one side, and the general utilization rate individual statistics (Specific Category S / W General Utilization Rate Individual Statistics) 143 for each monitored application within the specific monitored application product group are presented on the other side.

[0053] Here, general availability is based on the number of user devices (e.g., PCs) that used a specific monitored application at least once during a given period. Detailed statistics on general availability for each monitored application within a specific monitored application product group (detailed statistics on S / W general availability within a specific category)141 allow for a visual comparison of the general availability of multiple monitored applications within a product group on a chart. For example, in the example in Figure 6, the MS Office product group (category) may include monitored applications such as Excel (EXCEL.EXE), OneDrive (OneDrive.exe), OneNote (ONENOTE.EXE), Outlook (OUTLOOK.EXE), and PowerPoint (POWERPNT.exe), and the general availability of each monitored application can be visually compared on a chart. Detailed statistics141 show that the general availability of Excel and PowerPoint accounts for 32% and 37% of the total availability, respectively.

[0054] The individual general usage statistics for each monitored application within a specific monitoring target application product group (individual S / W general usage statistics within a specific category)143 visually compare the number of user devices (e.g., PCs) used at least once during a specified period with the number of unused user devices for each monitored application within the product group. For example, in the example in Figure 6, it can be seen that for the Excel application, the number of "used" user devices for which general usage is measured is 1792, while the number of "unused" user devices is 2511. For the PowerPoint application, it can be seen that the number of "used" user devices is 2098, while the number of "unused" user devices is 2205.

[0055] Furthermore, as mentioned above in relation to Figure 5, if the administrator selects "PC utilization rate / maximum utilization rate," "PC utilization rate / minimum utilization rate," "S / W usage rate," or "average daily usage frequency" instead of "PC utilization rate / general utilization rate" via the data type selection field, the corresponding statistical data may be presented to the user interface 140.

[0056] Figure 7 shows the user interface 150 displayed when the administrator selects "S / W aggregate statistics," which is a detailed item of "Usage Statistics," from the top items of the user interface 110 in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 7, in the user interface 150 for S / W aggregate statistics, the aggregate general availability statistics (S / W general availability aggregate statistics) 151 for each monitored application are presented on one side, and the individual general availability statistics (S / W general availability individual statistics) 153 for each monitored application may be presented on the other side.

[0057] Here, general availability is based on the number of user devices (e.g., PCs) that used a specific monitored application at least once during a given period. The aggregated general availability statistics (S / W general availability aggregate statistics) 151 for each monitored application allows for a visual comparison of the general availability of all monitored applications on a chart. For example, in the example in Figure 7, all monitored applications, regardless of product group, such as Excel (EXCEL.EXE), Acrobat (Acrobat.exe), Photoshop® (Photoshop.exe), and Chrome (chrome.exe), can be included, and the general availability of each monitored application can be visually compared on a chart. As an example, aggregated statistics 151 show that the general availability of the Acrobat and Chrome applications accounts for 9% and 5% of the total availability, respectively.

[0058] The individual general availability statistics (S / W general availability statistics)153 for each monitored application visually compare the number of user devices (e.g., PCs) used at least once during a specified period with the number of unused user devices for each monitored application. For example, in the example in Figure 7, it can be seen that for the Acrobat application, the number of "used" user devices for which general availability is measured is 3679, while the number of "unused" user devices is 640. For the Chrome application, the number of "used" user devices is 2899, while the number of "unused" user devices is 1420.

[0059] Furthermore, as mentioned above in relation to Figure 5, if the administrator selects "PC utilization rate / maximum utilization rate," "PC utilization rate / minimum utilization rate," "S / W usage rate," or "average daily usage frequency" instead of "PC utilization rate / general utilization rate" via the data type selection field, the corresponding statistical data may be presented to the user interface 150.

[0060] Thus, the user interface of the usage analysis application according to one embodiment of the present invention can not only present comparative statistics by product group, comparative statistics by application within a product group, and comparative statistics by all applications, but can also introduce concepts such as general utilization rate and minimum / maximum utilization rate to provide more systematic statistical information. This allows administrators to understand the actual application usage of each customer (institution) based on the actual application usage of individual user devices. This allows them to understand the application usage patterns and habits of an institution based on the actual application usage of users on user devices belonging to that institution. Therefore, not only can the types and number of applications used by user devices within the institution be effectively managed appropriately, but a significant effect is also achieved in that application usage fees paid by the institution can be calculated rationally according to the amount of application usage.

[0061] A method for presenting data on application usage.

[0062] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for presenting application usage data according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] Referring to Figure 8, in stage S1, the organization may receive usage analysis data regarding the usage of the application being analyzed running on each of its multiple user devices. The usage analysis data may be collected by a usage analysis application running on each of the multiple user devices, based on the graphical user interface (GUI) of the user device.

[0064] In step S2, statistical data regarding the usage of the application under analysis can be generated based on usage analysis data collected from each of multiple user devices.

[0065] The statistical data may include at least one of the following: comparative statistical data between the application product groups being analyzed; comparative statistical data between the applications that make up a specific application product group being analyzed; and comparative statistical data between all applications being analyzed.

[0066] In stage S3, a user interface based on statistical data may be presented to a designated device. The designated device may be a management server located within the organization or in the cloud.

[0067] According to one embodiment, a statistical data-based user interface may include a user interface for presenting comparative data regarding the number of user devices using one or more analyzed application products running within an organization during a predetermined period, and the number of user devices not using them.

[0068] According to one embodiment, a statistical data-based user interface may include a user interface for presenting comparative data regarding the number of user devices using and not using each application that constitutes a specific group of analyzed application products running within an organization during a predetermined period.

[0069] According to one embodiment, a statistical data-based user interface may include a user interface for presenting comparative data regarding the number of user devices using each application that constitutes all analyzed application products executed within the organization during a predetermined period, and the number of user devices that did not use each application.

[0070] According to one embodiment, a statistical data-based user interface may include a user interface for presenting data on the maximum and minimum number of user devices using one or more analytical application products running within an organization, on a daily basis during a predetermined period.

[0071] According to one embodiment, the statistical data-based user interface may include a user interface that displays the daily usage of a pre-configured application or group of application products within the organization via a calendar.

[0072] Method for collecting usage analysis data for applications

[0073] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method for collecting usage analysis data for an application according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0074] Referring to Figure 9, in step S10, a usage analysis application may be run on a user device belonging to the organization. A usage analysis application run on a user device belonging to the organization may operate in the background without a separate user interface. Alternatively, it may be possible to check whether a usage analysis application is currently running in the background via a simple user interface. Such a usage analysis application may be configured by default to run automatically each time the user device is turned on, once installed.

[0075] In step S11, the usage analysis application may initiate session monitoring of the user device. Such session monitoring corresponds to the process by which the usage analysis application determines whether or not to initiate a data collection process to collect data on the usage of multiple applications on the user device.

[0076] According to one embodiment, when session monitoring by the usage analysis application is started, it is determined whether or not the user is logged on to the operating system (OS) (step S112). If it is determined that the user is logged on to the OS, it may be determined whether or not the OS is unlocked (step S114). Here, the OS logon state refers to a state in which the user needs to enter a password pre-set in the OS or perform an operation such as clicking to enter a state in which the OS can operate normally (i.e., a state in which the user can use applications on the OS). The OS being locked refers to a state in which, for example, when the user device is a laptop, the user does not use the laptop for a predetermined period of time after logging on, or closes the laptop cover (including the display), and the user needs to log in again or perform an operation such as clicking to make the OS operate normally again. If the OS is not logged on or the OS is locked, the OS is not in a state to operate normally, so even if the OS of the user device is running, there is no need to perform usage analysis, and it is not necessary to proceed to the stage of collecting usage analysis data.

[0077] In stage S12, if the OS is logged on and the OS is not locked, the usage analysis application can determine which application to analyze from among multiple applications on the user device, and perform the collection process to collect usage analysis data.

[0078] In one unrestrictive example, determining the application to be analyzed may include, for each application (i.e., process) currently running on the user device, the step of determining whether or not it is included in a pre-configured list of monitoring applications (S122), and the step of determining whether or not the application has a graphical user interface (GUI) (S124). Step S122 is for confirming whether or not the currently running application is subject to monitoring, and step S124 is for confirming whether or not the application has a graphical user interface and is actually usable by the user. In other words, among the monitoring applications, those with a GUI may be determined to be the applications to be analyzed.

[0079] In step S13, the usage analysis application may execute a collection process for the application to be analyzed determined in step S12 and generate usage analysis data. The collection process may include a process of determining whether or not a user actually performed work on the application based on the state of the graphical user interface corresponding to that application. Such determinations may be made according to predetermined time intervals or rules. This will be described in more detail later with reference to Figure 10.

[0080] In step S14, usage analysis data, including the results of the collection process, may be sent to the management server. According to one embodiment, such usage analysis data may be converted to XML format and sent to the management server, but there are no limitations on the format of the data to be sent.

[0081] Figure 10 illustrates a specific example of the data collection process using a usage analysis application according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0082] Referring to Figure 10, as mentioned above, in the collection process, the usage analysis application analyzes the usage of each of the multiple target applications 205, 213, 214, and 216 based on the state of each application's graphical user interface (GUI).

[0083] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a usage analysis application may assign different state identifiers (e.g., GUI_ON or GUI_OFF) to each application's graphical user interface (GUI) depending on whether it is displayed on the user device's screen, and may also assign different state identifiers (e.g., Focus_ON or Focus_OFF) depending on whether it is in the foreground even if it is displayed on the screen. Furthermore, even if a particular application includes multiple tabs, usage can be analyzed based on distinguishing between the tab currently in the foreground and the other tabs and assigning them different state identifiers (e.g., Focus_ON or Focus_OFF).

[0084] For the sake of explanation, the example in Figure 10 will be specifically described as showing a state in which a user is actually using the Chrome (registered trademark) web browser application 205 on the screen 200 of their user device. According to one embodiment, since the graphical user interface of the Chrome web browser application 205 is displayed in the foreground, a state identifier GUI_ON can be assigned to it, which means that the graphical user interface (GUI) is activated.

[0085] Furthermore, in the example in Figure 10, although there are multiple tabs within the Chrome web browser application 205, the tab 210 currently displayed in the foreground of the graphical user interface of the Chrome web browser application 205 may be assigned the detailed status identifier Focus_ON, while the tab 212 not displayed in the foreground may be assigned the detailed status identifier Focus_OFF. This is based on the assumption that the user is focusing their attention on the tab currently displayed in the foreground.

[0086] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 10, it can be seen that, in addition to the Chrome web browser 205, a graphical user interface (i.e., a window) corresponding to Adobe's Acrobat application 213 was displayed as a background on the user device's screen to the Chrome web browser application 205 displayed in the foreground. Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, for an application such as the Acrobat application 213 displayed in the background of the screen, GUI_ON is assigned because a GUI is displayed on the screen, but Focus_OFF may be assigned because it is presumed that the user is not currently performing any work.

[0087] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 10, if application 214 is executed as the application to be analyzed but is hidden in the window taskbar and its GUI is not displayed, the usage analysis application may assign GUI_OFF to it. Similarly, if application 216 is executed as a startup program or similar and is included in the window taskbar as a tray icon, but the user is not actively working on it, the usage analysis application may assign GUI_OFF to it.

[0088] On the other hand, even if a user is not currently displaying a GUI on the screen, they may be using it in parallel with other applications. Therefore, a usage analysis application can periodically check the graphical user interface (GUI) of each application, or determine whether a particular application is actually being used based on the duration of GUI_ON and / or Focus_ON, the interval between state changes, etc. In other words, a usage analysis application can analyze application usage by checking the state of the graphical user interface of each application according to predetermined time intervals and rules.

[0089] Thus, according to the method for collecting usage analysis data for an application according to one embodiment of the present invention, the collection process can be performed on the monitoring target, i.e., the application to be analyzed, which has a user interface (UI) that is actually usable by the user when the OS is functioning normally. In particular, since such a collection process performs usage analysis based on the state of the graphical user interface corresponding to the application to be analyzed, it has the remarkable effect of providing more accurate and practical usage analysis data compared to conventional usage analysis methods that are based solely on whether or not the application is running.

[0090] Computer-readable recording media

[0091] It is obvious that each step and operation of the method according to the embodiments of the present invention can be carried out by a computer including one or more processors by executing a computer program stored on a computer-readable recording medium.

[0092] The computer-executable instructions stored on the aforementioned recording medium can be implemented by a computer program programmed to execute each corresponding step. Such a computer program is stored on a computer-readable recording medium and is executable by a processor. The computer-readable recording medium may be a non-transitory readable medium. In this case, a non-transitory readable medium means a medium that stores data semi-permanently and can be read by a device, rather than a medium that stores data only for a short time, such as a register, cache, or memory. Specifically, programs for executing the various methods described above may be stored and provided on non-transitory readable media such as semiconductor memory devices like erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and flash memory devices; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks; optical-magnetic disks; and non-volatile memory including CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs.

[0093] The various examples of methods disclosed herein may be provided in a computer program product. A computer program product may be distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)) or online via an application store (e.g., Play Store®). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated on a storage medium such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store server, or an intermediary server.

[0094] As described above, a person ordinary in the art to which the present invention pertains will understand that the present invention may be carried out in other specific forms without altering its technical idea or essential features. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood in all respects as illustrative and not limiting. The scope of the present invention is indicated not by the detailed description but by the claims set forth below, and all modified or altered forms derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included within the scope of the present invention.

[0095] The features and advantages described herein are not exhaustive, and many additional features and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art by considering the drawings, specification, and claims. Furthermore, it should be noted that the language used herein has been chosen primarily for readability and explanatory purposes and may not have been chosen to describe or limit the subject matter of the invention.

[0096] The above description of embodiments of the present invention is provided for illustrative purposes only. It is not intended to limit the invention to the exact form disclosed or to create an exhaustive version. Those skilled in the art will understand that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure.

[0097] Therefore, the scope of the present invention is not limited by the detailed description, but by any claim of an application based thereon. Accordingly, the disclosure of embodiments of the present invention is illustrative and does not limit the scope of the present invention as described in the following claims.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing and presenting data on application usage, A step of receiving usage analysis data regarding the usage of an application to be analyzed running on a user device from each of several user devices belonging to the organization, wherein the usage analysis data is collected by a usage analysis application running on each of the several user devices based on the display state of the graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to the application running on the user device. A step of generating statistical data regarding the usage of the application under analysis based on the usage analysis data collected from each of the multiple user devices, The steps include presenting the aforementioned statistical data to a designated device, Includes, The usage analysis application collects the usage analysis data based on the display state of the graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to the application running on the user device, To run the aforementioned usage analysis application on the user device, The aforementioned usage analysis application initiates session monitoring for the user device. The usage analysis application determines which application to be analyzed from among multiple applications on the user device to perform the collection process, and the determination of the application to be analyzed includes sequentially determining whether each application currently running on the user device is included in a pre-configured monitoring application list. The usage analysis application executes a collection process for the application to be analyzed and generates usage analysis data, and The usage analysis application includes transmitting the usage analysis data to the management server, Methods for analyzing and presenting application usage.

2. In the step of presenting the aforementioned statistical data to the designated device, The method for analyzing and presenting application usage according to claim 1, wherein the statistical data includes at least one of comparative statistical data between application product groups under analysis, comparative statistical data between applications constituting a specific application product group under analysis, and comparative statistical data between all applications under analysis.

3. The step of presenting the aforementioned statistical data to the designated device is: The method for analyzing and presenting application usage according to claim 1, further comprising the step of presenting a user interface to a designated device for presenting comparative data regarding the number of user devices using one or more application products under analysis performed within the organization during a predetermined period and the number of user devices not using such products.

4. The step of presenting the aforementioned statistical data to the designated device is: The method for analyzing and presenting application usage according to claim 1, further comprising the step of presenting a user interface to a designated device for presenting comparative data regarding the number of user devices using each application constituting a specific group of application products to be analyzed and the number of user devices not using such applications, which are executed within the organization during a predetermined period.

5. The step of presenting the aforementioned statistical data to the designated device is: The method for analyzing and presenting application usage according to claim 1, further comprising the step of presenting a user interface to a designated device for presenting comparative data regarding the number of user devices using each application constituting all application products under analysis performed within the organization during a predetermined period and the number of user devices not using each application.

6. The step of presenting the aforementioned statistical data to the designated device is: A method for analyzing and presenting application usage according to claim 1, further comprising the step of presenting a user interface to a designated device for presenting data relating to the maximum and minimum number of user devices using one or more application products under analysis executed within the organization, on a daily basis during a predetermined period.

7. The step of presenting the aforementioned statistical data to the designated device is: The method for analyzing and presenting application usage according to claim 1, further comprising the step of presenting a user interface to the designated device that displays the daily usage of an application or group of application products to be analyzed, pre-configured within the organization, via a calendar.

8. The aforementioned method, The method for analyzing and presenting application usage according to claim 1, further comprising the step of presenting a user interface for adding or removing the aforementioned applications to be analyzed.

9. A device for implementing a method for analyzing and presenting data on application usage, Includes a processor and memory containing computer executable instructions, When the aforementioned computer executable instruction is executed by the processor, the processor will: The organization receives usage analysis data regarding the usage of an application to be analyzed running on a user device from each of several user devices belonging to the organization, wherein the usage analysis data is collected by a usage analysis application running on each of the several user devices based on the display state of the graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to the application running on the user device. Based on the usage analysis data collected from each of the multiple user devices, statistical data regarding the usage of the application under analysis is generated. The aforementioned statistical data is presented to the designated device, Perform an action that includes this, The usage analysis application collects the usage analysis data based on the display state of the graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to the application running on the user device, To run the aforementioned usage analysis application on the user device, The aforementioned usage analysis application initiates session monitoring for the user device. The usage analysis application determines which application to be analyzed from among multiple applications on the user device to perform the collection process, and the determination of the application to be analyzed includes sequentially determining whether each application currently running on the user device is included in a pre-configured monitoring application list. The usage analysis application executes a collection process for the application to be analyzed and generates usage analysis data, and A device that includes transmitting the usage analysis data to a management server using the usage analysis application.

10. A computer-readable recording medium for storing computer executable instructions, When the aforementioned computer executable instruction is executed by the processor, the processor will: The organization receives usage analysis data regarding the usage of an application to be analyzed running on a user device from each of several user devices belonging to the organization, wherein the usage analysis data is collected by a usage analysis application running on each of the several user devices based on the display state of the graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to the application running on the user device. Based on the usage analysis data collected from each of the multiple user devices, statistical data regarding the usage of the application under analysis is generated. The aforementioned statistical data is presented to the designated device, Perform the action that does this, The usage analysis application collects the usage analysis data based on the display state of the graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to the application running on the user device, To run the aforementioned usage analysis application on the user device, The aforementioned usage analysis application initiates session monitoring for the user device. The usage analysis application determines which application to be analyzed from among multiple applications on the user device to perform the collection process, and the determination of the application to be analyzed includes sequentially determining whether each application currently running on the user device is included in a pre-configured monitoring application list. The usage analysis application executes a collection process for the application to be analyzed and generates usage analysis data, and A computer-readable recording medium that includes transmitting the usage analysis data to a management server via the usage analysis application.

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