Farbfilterarrays

Farbfilterarrays are essential components in digital imaging devices, particularly in color digital cameras, to capture color information. They are essentially a mosaic of tiny colored filters placed over the pixels of an image sensor. Each pixel beneath the filter array is designed to record the intensity of light of a specific color, typically red, green, or blue. By strategically arranging these filters, a full-color image can be reconstructed from the monochrome data captured by the sensor.

The most common type of Farbfilterarray is the Bayer filter array, invented by Bryce Bayer. This pattern uses a 2x2 repeating unit consisting of two green filters, one red filter, and one blue filter. The human eye is most sensitive to green light, which is why this pattern includes more green filters. Other arrangements exist, such as the CYGM (Cyan, Yellow, Green, Magenta) array, which uses subtractive primary colors and can potentially capture a wider color gamut, though they are less common in consumer electronics.

After the light passes through the filters and is converted into electrical signals by the sensor's pixels, a process called demosaicing or debayering is performed. This computational process interpolates the missing color information for each pixel, creating a full-color image. Demosaicing algorithms are crucial for producing accurate and visually pleasing color reproduction. The design and implementation of Farbfilterarrays and their associated demosaicing algorithms significantly impact the color fidelity, resolution, and noise performance of digital images.