Display mode selection according to a user profile or a hierarchy of criteria

1. A method of customizing display settings of a mobile display device, comprising:

controlling the mobile display device to provide at least one prompt for preference data, including at least one prompt for a selection among multiple scenarios involving trade-offs between display parameter settings and corresponding power consumption levels;

receiving the preference data via the mobile display device;

adding the preference data to a profile; and

controlling a display of the mobile display device, at least in part, according to the profile, wherein the display parameter settings include color depth settings, each of the color depth settings corresponding to a number of bits used to specify a color depth setting.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

controlling the display of the mobile display device to provide at least one prompt for a visual performance test;

receiving visual performance data, responsive to the at least one prompt, via the mobile display device; and

adding the visual performance data to the profile.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the visual performance test involves testing for at least one acuity type selected from a list of acuity types consisting of color brightness acuity and dithering technique acuity.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

controlling the mobile display device to provide at least one prompt regarding demographic information;

receiving demographic information, responsive to the at least one prompt, via the mobile display device;

transmitting, via a network interface of the mobile display device, the demographic information to an apparatus;

receiving, from the apparatus and via the network interface of the mobile display device, default display parameter setting information corresponding to the demographic information; and

adding the default display parameter setting information to the profile.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein adding information to the profile involves transmitting, via a network interface of the mobile display device, profile information to a server.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling the display of the mobile display device according to a hierarchy of criteria, the hierarchy of criteria consisting of at least one criterion selected from a group of criteria that includes battery state, luminance of ambient light and ambient temperature.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a software application that is currently being executed by the mobile display device; and

controlling the display of the mobile display device based, at least in part, on the software application.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that a plurality of software applications is currently being executed by the mobile display device; and

determining a display mode for the display of the mobile display device based, at least in part, on a hierarchy of display modes.

9. A mobile display device, comprising:

a display;

a user interface system;

a network interface; and

a control system capable of:

controlling the display to provide at least one prompt for preference data, including at least one prompt for a selection among multiple scenarios involving trade-offs between display parameter settings and corresponding power consumption levels;

receiving the preference data via the user interface system;

adding the preference data to a profile; and

controlling the display, at least in part, according to the profile, wherein the control system is further capable of:

controlling the mobile display device to provide at least one prompt regarding demographic information;

receiving demographic information, responsive to the at least one prompt, via the user interface system;

transmitting, via the network interface, the demographic information to an apparatus;

receiving, from the apparatus and via the network interface of the mobile display device, default display parameter setting information corresponding to the demographic information; and

adding the default display parameter setting information to the profile.

10. The mobile display device of claim 9 , wherein the control system is capable of:

controlling the display to provide at least one prompt for a visual performance test;

receiving visual performance data, responsive to the at least one prompt; and

adding the visual performance data to the profile.

11. The mobile display device of claim 10 , wherein the control system is capable of controlling the mobile display device to enter a battery saving mode based at least in part on at least one type of data selected from a group of data types consisting of the visual performance data and the preference data.

12. The mobile display device of claim 10 , wherein the control system is capable of controlling the mobile display device to enter a visually compensatory mode based on the visual performance data.

13. The mobile display device of claim 9 , wherein the mobile display device includes a network interface and wherein the control system is capable of:

transmitting, via the network interface, preference data to an apparatus;

receiving, from the apparatus and via the network interface, display parameter setting information corresponding to the preference data; and

controlling the display according to the display parameter setting information.

14. The mobile display device of claim 9 , wherein the control system is capable of receiving, via a network interface of the mobile display device, profile information from a server.

15. The mobile display device of claim 9 , wherein the control system is capable of controlling the display according to a hierarchy of criteria, the hierarchy of criteria consisting of at least one criterion selected from a group of criteria consisting of battery state, luminance of ambient light, ambient temperature, and information in the profile.

16. The mobile display device of claim 9 , wherein the control system is capable of:

determining that a plurality of software applications is currently being executed by the mobile display device; and

determining a display mode for the display of the mobile display device based, at least in part, on a hierarchy of display modes.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a network interface system; and

a control system capable of:

receiving demographic information, via the network interface, from a mobile display device;

determining default display parameter setting information corresponding to the demographic information;

adding the default display parameter setting information to a profile; and

providing profile information corresponding to the profile, via the network interface, to the mobile display device, the profile information including the default display parameter setting information; wherein the control system is further capable of:

receiving, via the network interface system, an indication that a plurality of software applications is currently being executed by the mobile display device;

determining display mode information for controlling a display of the mobile display device based, at least in part, on a hierarchy of display modes; and

transmitting, via the network interface system, the display mode information to the mobile display device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the control system is capable of:

receiving preference data, via the network interface system, from a mobile display device;

determining display parameter setting information for the mobile display device corresponding to the preference data; and

transmitting the display parameter setting information, via the network interface system, to the mobile display device.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the control system is capable of providing to the mobile display device, via the network interface system, a hierarchy of criteria for controlling a display of the mobile display device, the hierarchy of criteria consisting of at least one criterion selected from a group of criteria that includes battery state, luminance of ambient light and ambient temperature.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the control system is capable of:

receiving, via the network interface system, an indication of a software application that is currently being executed by the mobile display device; and

transmitting, via the network interface system, information for controlling a display of the mobile display device based, at least in part, on the software application.

21. A non-transitory medium having software stored thereon, the software including instructions for controlling at least one device to:

determine at least one criterion of a hierarchy of criteria that includes a battery state of a mobile display device, a luminance of ambient light and ambient temperature; and

select, based at least in part on the at least one criterion, a display mode from among a plurality of display modes for controlling a display of the mobile display device, each display mode corresponding with a set of display parameter settings, the display parameter settings including a color depth setting selected from a plurality of color depth settings, wherein determining the at least one criterion of the hierarchy of criteria involves receiving battery state information for the mobile display device and wherein the software further includes instructions for controlling at least one device to:

determine whether the battery state information indicates that the battery has less than a power threshold level remaining; and, if the battery state indicates that the battery has less than the power threshold level remaining,

select a black and white display mode for controlling the display.

22. The non-transitory medium of claim 21 , wherein each display mode indicates a display light illumination setting selected from plurality of display light illumination settings.

23. The non-transitory medium of claim 21 , wherein the hierarchy of criteria includes at least one criterion selected from a group of criteria consisting of a spectral content of ambient light, inertial sensor data and a software application that is currently being executed by the mobile display device.

24. The non-transitory medium of claim 21 , wherein the hierarchy of criteria includes a context in which the mobile display device is being used, the context including at least one context selected from a list of contexts consisting of a current usage of a software application, a motion-based context that is based, at least in part, on inertial sensor data and a context in which the mobile display device is being used in cooperation with a second device.

25. The non-transitory medium of claim 24 , wherein the context involves a current usage of a software application, wherein the software application has two or more corresponding sets of display parameter settings and wherein each of the sets of display parameter settings depends, at least in part, on the current usage of the software application.

26. The non-transitory medium of claim 24 , wherein the context involves the mobile display device being used in cooperation with a second device and wherein the second device is a wearable device selected from a group of wearable devices consisting of a watch and a wearable medical device.