diff --git a/drivers/video/Kconfig b/drivers/video/Kconfig
index e7068c508800..09a8f0d8a3d4 100644
--- a/drivers/video/Kconfig
+++ b/drivers/video/Kconfig
@@ -33,6 +33,12 @@ config VIDEO_OUTPUT_CONTROL
 	  This framework adds support for low-level control of the video 
 	  output switch.
 
+config DISPLAY_TIMING
+       bool
+
+config VIDEOMODE
+       bool
+
 menuconfig FB
 	tristate "Support for frame buffer devices"
 	---help---
diff --git a/drivers/video/Makefile b/drivers/video/Makefile
index 768a137a1bac..e0dd8202365f 100644
--- a/drivers/video/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/video/Makefile
@@ -168,3 +168,5 @@ obj-$(CONFIG_FB_VIRTUAL)          += vfb.o
 
 #video output switch sysfs driver
 obj-$(CONFIG_VIDEO_OUTPUT_CONTROL) += output.o
+obj-$(CONFIG_DISPLAY_TIMING) += display_timing.o
+obj-$(CONFIG_VIDEOMODE) += videomode.o
diff --git a/drivers/video/display_timing.c b/drivers/video/display_timing.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..5e1822cef571
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/video/display_timing.c
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+/*
+ * generic display timing functions
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2012 Steffen Trumtrar <s.trumtrar@pengutronix.de>, Pengutronix
+ *
+ * This file is released under the GPLv2
+ */
+
+#include <linux/export.h>
+#include <linux/slab.h>
+#include <video/display_timing.h>
+
+void display_timings_release(struct display_timings *disp)
+{
+	if (disp->timings) {
+		unsigned int i;
+
+		for (i = 0; i < disp->num_timings; i++)
+			kfree(disp->timings[i]);
+		kfree(disp->timings);
+	}
+	kfree(disp);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(display_timings_release);
diff --git a/drivers/video/videomode.c b/drivers/video/videomode.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..21c47a202afa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/video/videomode.c
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+/*
+ * generic display timing functions
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2012 Steffen Trumtrar <s.trumtrar@pengutronix.de>, Pengutronix
+ *
+ * This file is released under the GPLv2
+ */
+
+#include <linux/errno.h>
+#include <linux/export.h>
+#include <video/display_timing.h>
+#include <video/videomode.h>
+
+int videomode_from_timing(const struct display_timings *disp,
+			  struct videomode *vm, unsigned int index)
+{
+	struct display_timing *dt;
+
+	dt = display_timings_get(disp, index);
+	if (!dt)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	vm->pixelclock = display_timing_get_value(&dt->pixelclock, TE_TYP);
+	vm->hactive = display_timing_get_value(&dt->hactive, TE_TYP);
+	vm->hfront_porch = display_timing_get_value(&dt->hfront_porch, TE_TYP);
+	vm->hback_porch = display_timing_get_value(&dt->hback_porch, TE_TYP);
+	vm->hsync_len = display_timing_get_value(&dt->hsync_len, TE_TYP);
+
+	vm->vactive = display_timing_get_value(&dt->vactive, TE_TYP);
+	vm->vfront_porch = display_timing_get_value(&dt->vfront_porch, TE_TYP);
+	vm->vback_porch = display_timing_get_value(&dt->vback_porch, TE_TYP);
+	vm->vsync_len = display_timing_get_value(&dt->vsync_len, TE_TYP);
+
+	vm->dmt_flags = dt->dmt_flags;
+	vm->data_flags = dt->data_flags;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(videomode_from_timing);
diff --git a/include/video/display_timing.h b/include/video/display_timing.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..71e9a383a981
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/video/display_timing.h
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2012 Steffen Trumtrar <s.trumtrar@pengutronix.de>
+ *
+ * description of display timings
+ *
+ * This file is released under the GPLv2
+ */
+
+#ifndef __LINUX_DISPLAY_TIMING_H
+#define __LINUX_DISPLAY_TIMING_H
+
+#include <linux/bitops.h>
+#include <linux/types.h>
+
+/* VESA display monitor timing parameters */
+#define VESA_DMT_HSYNC_LOW		BIT(0)
+#define VESA_DMT_HSYNC_HIGH		BIT(1)
+#define VESA_DMT_VSYNC_LOW		BIT(2)
+#define VESA_DMT_VSYNC_HIGH		BIT(3)
+
+/* display specific flags */
+#define DISPLAY_FLAGS_DE_LOW		BIT(0)	/* data enable flag */
+#define DISPLAY_FLAGS_DE_HIGH		BIT(1)
+#define DISPLAY_FLAGS_PIXDATA_POSEDGE	BIT(2)	/* drive data on pos. edge */
+#define DISPLAY_FLAGS_PIXDATA_NEGEDGE	BIT(3)	/* drive data on neg. edge */
+#define DISPLAY_FLAGS_INTERLACED	BIT(4)
+#define DISPLAY_FLAGS_DOUBLESCAN	BIT(5)
+
+/*
+ * A single signal can be specified via a range of minimal and maximal values
+ * with a typical value, that lies somewhere inbetween.
+ */
+struct timing_entry {
+	u32 min;
+	u32 typ;
+	u32 max;
+};
+
+enum timing_entry_index {
+	TE_MIN = 0,
+	TE_TYP = 1,
+	TE_MAX = 2,
+};
+
+/*
+ * Single "mode" entry. This describes one set of signal timings a display can
+ * have in one setting. This struct can later be converted to struct videomode
+ * (see include/video/videomode.h). As each timing_entry can be defined as a
+ * range, one struct display_timing may become multiple struct videomodes.
+ *
+ * Example: hsync active high, vsync active low
+ *
+ *				    Active Video
+ * Video  ______________________XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_____________________
+ *	  |<- sync ->|<- back ->|<----- active ----->|<- front ->|<- sync..
+ *	  |	     |	 porch  |		     |	 porch	 |
+ *
+ * HSync _|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|___________________________________________|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
+ *
+ * VSync ¯|__________|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|_________
+ */
+struct display_timing {
+	struct timing_entry pixelclock;
+
+	struct timing_entry hactive;		/* hor. active video */
+	struct timing_entry hfront_porch;	/* hor. front porch */
+	struct timing_entry hback_porch;	/* hor. back porch */
+	struct timing_entry hsync_len;		/* hor. sync len */
+
+	struct timing_entry vactive;		/* ver. active video */
+	struct timing_entry vfront_porch;	/* ver. front porch */
+	struct timing_entry vback_porch;	/* ver. back porch */
+	struct timing_entry vsync_len;		/* ver. sync len */
+
+	unsigned int dmt_flags;			/* VESA DMT flags */
+	unsigned int data_flags;		/* video data flags */
+};
+
+/*
+ * This describes all timing settings a display provides.
+ * The native_mode is the default setting for this display.
+ * Drivers that can handle multiple videomodes should work with this struct and
+ * convert each entry to the desired end result.
+ */
+struct display_timings {
+	unsigned int num_timings;
+	unsigned int native_mode;
+
+	struct display_timing **timings;
+};
+
+/* get value specified by index from struct timing_entry */
+static inline u32 display_timing_get_value(const struct timing_entry *te,
+					   enum timing_entry_index index)
+{
+	switch (index) {
+	case TE_MIN:
+		return te->min;
+		break;
+	case TE_TYP:
+		return te->typ;
+		break;
+	case TE_MAX:
+		return te->max;
+		break;
+	default:
+		return te->typ;
+	}
+}
+
+/* get one entry from struct display_timings */
+static inline struct display_timing *display_timings_get(const struct
+							 display_timings *disp,
+							 unsigned int index)
+{
+	if (disp->num_timings > index)
+		return disp->timings[index];
+	else
+		return NULL;
+}
+
+void display_timings_release(struct display_timings *disp);
+
+#endif
diff --git a/include/video/videomode.h b/include/video/videomode.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a42156234dd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/video/videomode.h
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2012 Steffen Trumtrar <s.trumtrar@pengutronix.de>
+ *
+ * generic videomode description
+ *
+ * This file is released under the GPLv2
+ */
+
+#ifndef __LINUX_VIDEOMODE_H
+#define __LINUX_VIDEOMODE_H
+
+#include <linux/types.h>
+#include <video/display_timing.h>
+
+/*
+ * Subsystem independent description of a videomode.
+ * Can be generated from struct display_timing.
+ */
+struct videomode {
+	unsigned long pixelclock;	/* pixelclock in Hz */
+
+	u32 hactive;
+	u32 hfront_porch;
+	u32 hback_porch;
+	u32 hsync_len;
+
+	u32 vactive;
+	u32 vfront_porch;
+	u32 vback_porch;
+	u32 vsync_len;
+
+	unsigned int dmt_flags;	/* VESA DMT flags */
+	unsigned int data_flags; /* video data flags */
+};
+
+/**
+ * videomode_from_timing - convert display timing to videomode
+ * @disp: structure with all possible timing entries
+ * @vm: return value
+ * @index: index into the list of display timings in devicetree
+ *
+ * DESCRIPTION:
+ * This function converts a struct display_timing to a struct videomode.
+ */
+int videomode_from_timing(const struct display_timings *disp,
+			  struct videomode *vm, unsigned int index);
+
+#endif