Bayer pattern
From The Glossary of Digital Photography
The pattern of red, green, and blue (RGB) filters arranged on a digital sensor. It is necessary to have a way to distinguish the various colors when a single sensor or chip is used. Eastman Kodak scientist Dr. Bryce E. Bayer invented the particular arrangement of filters that takes his name. The Bayer pattern was patented in 1976 and is the basis for nearly all digital camera sensors. The unique part of the Bayer pattern is the way in which the colors are split. 25% of the elements are red, 50% are green, and 25% are blue. This proportion is used to reflect the way in which the human eye works, as it is more sensitive to green. Each of the elements is a pixel and represents only one color. Software in the camera, or later in the computer in the case of raw files, interpolates the single-color-per-pixel data to calculate three colors for each pixel. This software is known as demosaicing software. The Foveon sensor is one of the few sensors that does not use a Bayer pattern. See demosaicing; raw; RGB; pixel; Foveon sensor; image sensor
