Apparatus and methods for identification of a coded pattern visible to a computerized imaging apparatus while invisible or inconspicuous to human eyes. A pattern and/or marking may serve to indicate identity of an object, and/or the relative position of the pattern to a viewer. While some solutions exist for identifying patterns (for example, QR codes), they may be visually obtrusive to a human observer due to visual clutter. In exemplary implementations, apparatus and methods are capable of generating patterns with sufficient structure to be used for either discrimination or some aspect of localization, while incorporating spectral properties that are more aesthetically acceptable such as being: a) imperceptible or subtle to the human observer and/or b) aligned to an existing acceptable visual form, such as a logo. In one variant, a viewer comprises an imaging system comprised as a processor and laser scanner, or camera, or moving photodiode.