Patent ID: 7414666

Claim:
A portable device having an image pickup unit picking-up an image of an object and outputting image information, comprising: a light source emitting light to said object; a control unit for controlling an emission by said light source based on quantity of light emission, in an image pick-up mode; and an exposure detecting unit for detecting exposure level based on said image information; wherein said control unit includes a light emission quantity determining unit for determining said quantity of light emission, a comparing unit for detecting a difference by comparing said exposure level detected by said exposure detecting unit with said light source emitting light based on said light emission quantity determined by said light emission quantity determining unit and said exposure level detected by said exposure detecting unit with said light source not emitting light; and said light emission quantity determining unit determines said light emission quantity based on said difference detected by said comparing unit, to have said exposure level match an optimal level; and said comparing unit and said light emission quantity determining unit are activated repeatedly for a single image pick-up operation until said exposure level detected by said exposure detecting unit matches the optimal level; and wherein said exposure detecting unit detects said exposure level with said light source emitting light based on said light emission quantity determined by said light emission quantity determining unit, and immediately thereafter said exposure detecting unit detects said exposure level with said light source not emitting light.