Patent ID: 7646971

Claim:
A method implemented by a device, the method comprising: providing, via an assist light of the device, an optical output to a subject; receiving, via a flash sensor of the device, an optical input; determining, via the flash sensor, a luminance of the subject based on the optical input, where the luminance of the subject includes an amount of light reflected from the subject and detected by the device; and adjusting the optical output of the assist light, in substantially real time, based on the luminance of the subject, where adjusting the optical output of the assist light includes: increasing the optical output of the assist light as the luminance of the subject decreases, and decreasing the optical output of the assist light as the luminance of the subject increases, and where the increasing and decreasing of the optical output of the assist light causes the luminance of the subject to remain substantially constant as a distance between the subject and the device changes.