Patent Document ID: 20010031142
Application ID: 09740416
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. A method of controlling exposure of a scene image comprising the steps of: (a) sensing a scene for image data including scene brightness data from at least a first set of a plurality of regions of the scene including a subject region; (b) deriving values representative of a brightness map of the scene in accordance with scene brightness data values corresponding to each of a first set of regions; (c) sensing the scene for image data including range data from at least a second set of regions in the scene; (d) deriving values representative of a range map in accordance with each of the second the range to determine a subject in the scene; and, (e) comparing the range map with the scene brightness map for determining a relationship between scene brightness and the subject brightness; and, (f) controlling the exposure by controlling artificial illumination upon the scene, whereby a relationship of ambient and artificial illumination is generally obtained based on the relationship between scene brightness and the subject brightness.