Operating system-resident display module parameter selection system

1. An electronic device comprising:

a display module configurable for generating images according to a plurality of variable display parameters; and

a processor coupled to the display, configured to:

execute a plurality of software applications on the electronic device, each having corresponding graphical output specifications;

execute a display control module resident in an operating system, wherein the display control module is configured to:

maintain an application data structure to store the corresponding graphical output specifications of each of the plurality of software applications;

maintain a display capability data structure to store a plurality of settings for each of the variable display parameters; and

in response to one of the plurality of software applications being launched, process data stored in the application data structure and the display capability data structure to generate a set of display parameter settings to output to the display module for use in outputting graphical output from the launched application,

wherein the application data structure includes a minimum value and a preferred value for each of the graphical output specifications and the display control module is configured to select the maximum value from the display capability data structure when the preferred value from a corresponding entry in the application data structure exceeds the maximum value from the display capability data structure.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second processor configured to process image data; and

a memory device configured to communicate with the second processor.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a driver circuit configured to send at least one signal to the display; and

a controller configured to send at least a portion of the image data to the driver circuit.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:

an image source module configured to send the image data to the processor, wherein the image source module comprises at least one of a receiver, a transceiver, and a transmitter.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising an input device configured to receive input data and to communicate the input data to the processor.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of variable display parameters include at least one of: color gamut, bit depth, frame rate, and maximum brightness level.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the display control module is configured to obtain the set of display parameter settings based in part on a current battery level of the electronic device.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the display control module is configured to obtain the set of display parameter settings based in part on a display preference user input.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the display control module is configured to obtain the set of display parameter settings based in part on ambient light data.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the display control module is configured to process data stored in the application data structure and the display capability data structure by selecting an operating mode having a plurality of associated display parameter settings.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the application data structure includes a minimum value and a preferred value for each of the graphical output specifications.

12. A method of determining display parameter settings for display of graphical output from an application, the method comprising:

maintaining, by a display control module resident in an operating system executing on a processor, an application data structure that stores corresponding graphical output specifications of a plurality of software applications executable by the processor, wherein the application data structure includes a minimum value and a preferred value for each of the graphical output specifications;

maintaining, by the display control module, a display capability data structure that stores a plurality of variable display parameters and a plurality of settings for each of the variable display parameters, based on the capabilities of a display module coupled to the processor;

selecting, by a display control module responsive to one of the plurality of software applications being launched, a set of display parameter settings for use in outputting graphical information from the launched application based on data stored in the application data structure and the display capability data structure, wherein selecting the set of display parameter settings further comprises selecting the maximum value from the display capability data structure when the preferred value from a corresponding entry in the application data structure exceeds the maximum value from the display capability data structure; and

transmitting, by the processor, the selected set of display parameter settings to the display module.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein maintaining the display capability data structure includes maintaining values for at least one of: color gamut, bit depth, frame rate, and maximum brightness level.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein selecting the set of display parameter settings is further based on a current battery level of a battery electrically coupled to the display module.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein selecting the set of display parameter settings is further based on ambient light data.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising processing data stored in the application data structure and the display capability data structure, wherein the processing includes selecting an operating mode having a plurality of associated display parameter settings.

17. An electronic device comprising:

means for maintaining an application data structure that stores corresponding graphical output specifications of a plurality of software applications executable by the processor, wherein the application data structure includes a minimum value and a preferred value for each of the graphical output specifications;

means for maintaining a display capability data structure that stores a plurality of variable display parameters and a plurality of settings for each of the variable display parameters, based on the capabilities of a display module coupled to the processor;

means for receiving a request to launch one of the plurality of software applications;

means for selecting a set of display parameter settings for use in outputting graphical information from the launched application, wherein the selection is made based on data stored in the application data structure and the display capability data structure, and wherein the means for selecting the set of display parameter settings is configured to select the maximum value from the display capability data structure when the preferred value from a corresponding entry in the application data structure exceeds the maximum value from the display capability data structure; and

means for transmitting the selected set of display parameter settings to the display module.

18. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of variable display parameters include at least one of: color gamut, bit depth, frame rate, and maximum brightness level.

19. The electronic device of claim 17 , further comprising means for obtaining the set of display parameter settings based in part on a current battery level of the electronic device.

20. The electronic device of claim 17 , further comprising means for selecting an operating mode having a plurality of associated display parameter settings.

21. The electronic device of claim 17 , further comprising means for obtaining the set of display parameter settings based in part on ambient light data.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions encoded thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of determining display parameter settings for display of graphical output from an application, the method comprising:

maintaining, by a display control module resident in an operating system executing on a processor, an application data structure that corresponding graphical output specifications of a plurality of software applications executable by the processor, wherein the application data structure includes a minimum value and a preferred value for each of the graphical output specifications;

maintaining, by the display control module, a display capability data structure that stores a plurality of variable display parameters and a plurality of settings for each of the variable display parameters, based on the capabilities of a display module coupled to the processor;

selecting, by a display control module responsive to one of the plurality of software applications being launched, a set of display parameter settings for use in outputting graphical information from the launched application based on data stored in the application data structure and the display capability data structure, wherein selecting the set of display parameter settings further comprises selecting the maximum value from the display capability data structure when the preferred value from a corresponding entry in the application data structure exceeds the maximum value from the display capability data structure; and

transmitting, by the processor, the selected set of display parameter settings to the display module.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22 , wherein maintaining the display capability data structure includes maintaining values for at least one of: color gamut, bit depth, frame rate, and maximum brightness level.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22 , wherein selecting the set of display parameter settings is further based on a current battery level of a battery electrically coupled to the display module.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22 , wherein selecting the set of display parameter settings is further based on ambient light data.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22 , wherein the method further comprises processing data stored in the application data structure and the display capability data structure, wherein the processing includes selecting an operating mode having a plurality of associated display parameter settings.

27. An electronic device comprising:

a display module configurable for generating images according to variable display settings including a bit depth parameter; and

a processor coupled to the display, configured to:

execute a plurality of software applications on the electronic device, each having corresponding graphical output specifications; and

execute a display control module resident in an operating system, wherein the display control module is configured to:

generate a setting for the bit depth parameter based on information relating to an application being launched including a minimum value and a preferred value for the bit depth parameter, and based on information relating to the capabilities of the display module including a maximum value for the bit depth parameter, wherein the display control module is configured to select the maximum value for the bit depth parameter, in response to a determination that the preferred value of the bit depth parameter exceeds the maximum value of the bit depth parameter.

28. The electronic device of claim 27 , wherein the display control module is configured to generate the setting for the bit depth parameter based in part on at least one of a current battery level of the electronic device, a display preference user input, and ambient light data.