Encoding data in symbols disposed on an optically active article

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device and from an image capture device, an image of an optically active article that includes a set of one or more symbols of a symbol set, wherein at least one symbol of the set of one or more symbols represented in the image comprises a set of one or more encoding regions that are embedded with the symbol;

in response to receiving the image, determining, by the computing device, that a particular image region of the image represents the at least one symbol;

for one or more encoding regions within the at least one symbol, determining, by the computing device and based at least in part on the determination that the particular image region of the image represents the at least one symbol, whether the one or more encoding regions are active or inactive; and

performing, by the computing device and based at least in part on whether the one or more encoding regions are active or inactive, one or more operations,

wherein determining whether the one or more encoding regions are active or inactive comprises:

determining, by the computing device and based on the particular image region of the image representing the at least one symbol, a set of pre-defined locations for the encoding regions within the symbol;

for each respective location of the predefined locations, determining whether a respective encoding region that corresponds to the respective pre-defined location is active or inactive; and

determining one or more values based on whether the one or more encoding regions are active or inactive.

2. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein a first encoding region that reflects light above a threshold light intensity is active and a second encoding region that does not reflect the light above the threshold light intensity is inactive.

3. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein a first encoding region that reflects light above a threshold light intensity is inactive and a second encoding region that does not reflect the light above the threshold light intensity is active.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more encoding regions are printed with visibly-opaque, infrared-transparent ink on a retroreflective surface of the optically active article and a remaining portion of the at least one symbol that excludes the one or more encoding regions are printed with visibly-opaque, infrared-opaque ink.

5. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein a first set of pixel values, which represent one or more active encoding regions of the one or more encoding regions, are within a first range of pixel values,

wherein a second set of pixel values, which represent a remaining portion of the at least one symbol that excludes the one or more active encoding regions, are within a second range of pixel values that are different from the first range of pixel values.

6. The method of claim 5 ,

wherein the image is a first image and wherein the first image of the optically active article is captured in a first spectral range within the near-infrared spectrum,

wherein a second image of the optically active article is captured in a second spectral range within the visible spectrum,

wherein a third set of pixel values that represent the at least one symbol in the second image are within the second range of pixel values, and wherein a first proportion of the third set of pixel values that represent the at least one symbol is greater than a second proportion of the second set of pixel values that represent the at least one symbol.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, a location of an active encoding region of the one or more encoding regions;

determining, by the computing device, a value based at least in part on the location of the active encoding region; and

wherein performing one or more operations comprises performing the one or more operations based at least in part on the value.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, a set of one or more pixel values of an active encoding region of the one or more encoding regions;

determining, by the computing device, that the set of one or more pixel values value within a particular range of a plurality of ranges of pixel values;

determining, by the computing device, a value based at least in part on the particular range; and

wherein performing one or more operations comprises performing the one or more operations based at least in part on the value.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, a distance between at least two encoding regions of the symbol;

determining, by the computing device, a value based at least in part on the distance; and

wherein performing one or more operations comprises performing the one or more operations based at least in part on the value.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, a proportion of the at least one symbol that is comprised of one or more encoding regions;

determining, by the computing device, a value based at least in part on the proportion; and

wherein performing one or more operations comprises performing the one or more operations based at least in part on the value.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, a size of an active encoding region of the one or more encoding regions;

determining, by the computing device, a value based at least in part on the size; and

wherein performing one or more operations comprises performing the one or more operations based at least in part on the value.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, a radial distance between a reference location and a location of an active encoding region of the one or more encoding regions;

determining, by the computing device, a value based at least in part on the radial distance; and

wherein performing one or more operations comprises performing the one or more operations based at least in part on the value.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, one or more values of one or more encoding data units that represent an error-detecting code;

performing, by the computing device, a check based on the error-detecting code to determine whether the error-detecting code is valid; and

wherein performing one or more operations comprises performing the one or more operations based at least in part whether the error-detecting code is valid.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

wherein each active encoding region of the one or more encoding regions represents a first value,

wherein each inactive encoding region of the one or more encoding regions represents a second value, and

generating, by the computing device, a bitstring with one or more instances of the first value and the second value.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device and from an image capture device, an image of an optically active article that includes a set of one or more symbols of a symbol set, wherein at least one symbol of the set of one or more symbols represented in the image comprises a set of one or more active encoding regions that are embedded with the symbol;

selecting, based at least in part on image data representing the symbol and image data representing a plurality of known variants of the at least one symbol, a particular variant of the at least one symbol from the plurality of known variants of the at least one symbol;

determining a value associated with the variant of the at least one symbol; and

performing, by the computing device and based at least in part on the value, one or more operations.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

parameterizing the image data representing the symbol into a feature vector;

inputting the feature vector into a classifier; and

wherein selecting the particular variant of the at least one symbol comprises determining, based at least in part on classification by the classifier, the particular variant.

17. The method of claim 15 ,

wherein each variant of the plurality of known variants represents the same at least one symbol, and

wherein each variant of the plurality of known variants includes a different arrangement of active encoding regions.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the set of one or more active encoding regions reflect light above a threshold light intensity.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the set of one or more active encoding regions do not reflect light above a threshold light intensity.

20. The method of claim 15 ,

wherein a first set of pixel values, which represent the one or more active encoding regions, are within a first range of pixel values,

wherein a second set of pixel values, which represent a remaining portion of the at least one symbol that excludes the one or more active encoding regions, are within a second range of pixel values that are different from the first range of pixel values.