Method and device for determining the orienting of a surface of a workpiece and method for orienting a device at the point of work at the surface of the workpiece

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device (100) for determining the orienting of a surface (172) of a workpiece (170) in the area around a point of work (171) of the workpiece (170) by means of a calibrated optical sensor (1) with a projection device (10) and a recording device (20), as well as a method for orienting a device (100) at the point of work (171 ) at the surface (172) of the workpiece (170). It is provided to project a pattern (18) onto the surface (172) of the workpiece (170) in the area around the point of work (171), to record the pattern (18) projected onto the surface (172), to determine a phase slope (dϕ / dx) in the image of the pattern elements as a function of the location along each of a line of pattern elements in at least two different pattern directions (x, y) and to determine the orientating of the surface (172) relative to the optical sensor (1) from the determined phase slopes (dϕ / dx).

Description

[0001]Method and device for determining the orienting of a surface of a workpieceand method for orienting a device at the point of work at the surface of theworkpieceThe invention relates to a method and a device for determining the orienting of asurface of a workpiece in an area around a (preferably optically recognizable orotherwise defined) point of work of the workpiece (working point WP) by meansof a calibrated optical sensor with a projection device and a recording device withthe features of the preamble of claim 1 for the method and of claim 7 for thedevice. Further, the invention relates to a method for orienting the device equipped with a tool device with the features of claim 12 using the aforementionedmethod for determining the orienting of the surface of the workpiece relative tothe device.The proposed method for determining the orienting of the surface of the workpiececomprises the following method steps:Projecting a pattern onto the surface of the workpiece by means of the projection device in the area around the point of work, wherein the pattern comprises in each of at least two different pattern directions one line or also several lines of periodically arranged pattern elements. This means that thepattern elements are arranged in a periodic pitch (i.e. at a periodically repeating,preferably always the same, spacing) in a preferably straight, but possibly alsocurved, line. Imaging the pattern projected onto the surface using the recording device.With recording and projection devices calibrated with respect to one another in space in a common (in the sense of identical) coordinate system, individual pattern points can be identified in their projection onto the surface as coordinatesApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO in space. Numerical or analytical methods for this are available in the state of the art.However, it is often difficult to detect the exact positions of the individual patternpoints in the images. This leads to inaccuracies in the posture detection of thesurface. As a result, the orienting of the surface relative to the orienting of theoptical sensor can often not be identified accurately enough with the projectionand recording device, e.g. if work is to be carried out by a tool at the working pointof the workpiece where a very precise orienting of the surface relative to the toolis required (even if its posture in space is known or can be precisely determinedbased on a calibration). Further, WO 95 / 35174 A1 describes a riveting method for joining a first and a second material to be joined using a riveting tool. For this purpose, it is necessary to position the riveting tool very precisely in relation to openings in the material tobe joined for inserting the rivets into the openings in the material to be joined. Inthe case of a riveting tool mounted on a robot, the position of the opening can be detected by a laser beam. A control unit of the riveting tool can then arrange the riveting tool in the correct position by means of a corresponding signal. An exactorientation of the riveting tool relative to the surface in relation to an orientation orposition cannot be achieved with this method. Against this background, the problem of the invention is to determine the orienting of a surface relative to an optical sensor more precisely, in particular for use in the context of machining a workpiece with a tool device at a point of work of the tool. A further problem lies in orienting the tool device with the optical sensorprecisely in a predefined orienting relative to the workpiece surface.April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WOThis problem is solved by a method comprising the features of claim 1. In amethod of the type described at the beginning, the following method steps are carried out: Determining a phase slope in the image of the pattern elements as afunction of the location along each of one of the lines of pattern elements in the at least two different pattern directions, and Identifying the orienting of the surface from the determined phase slopes(relative to the optical sensor, i.e. in the coordinate system in which the optical sensor is calibrated). In the projection of this pattern, the periodic arrangement of pattern elements inthe pattern leads to the fact that the spatial progress of the pattern projected ontothe surface can be understood in the image as the phase of an oscillation in which individual phase points can be read, for example as zero crossings of a sine wave- shaped oscillation. The phase points can be identified directly by the projection of the periodically arranged pattern elements and thus be directly recognizable inthe image of the projected pattern. However, there are also other possibilities forgenerating phase points of the projected pattern in the image, e.g. as part of a moiré beating, in which beatings of the projected pattern are generated in theimage. The basic principle of moiré beatings will be briefly explained again later,but is basically known to the skilled person. Using conventional methods for image recognition and image evaluation, which are known to the skilled person and therefore do not need to be explained in detail, the skilled person can identify the recognizable phase points in the image and assign two-dimensional image point coordinates to them. Due to the periodicstructure in the lines of the pattern points, the phase spacing ^^ between therecognizable phase points (i.e. the periodically arranged pattern elements) isApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO constantly the same, or at least known according to the periodicity. In the context of this text, any known periodicity is referred to as "constant". In the examplesused in this text, the phase spacing is always shown as constant for illustrativepurposes. The spatial spacing of the phase points (pattern elements) in the image (hereinafter the spatial spacing is also referred to as dx or dy, where x and y refer to the different pattern directions or can at least be described as a function of x and y) depends on the orientation of the surface onto which the pattern isprojected and, depending on the orienting of the surface, can depend locally onthe imaging location, e.g. defined as a tuple (x, y), in the image. This is in anycase the case if the projection direction (referred to here as direction z) of thepattern (or the projection device) and / or the imaging direction of the image (or therecording device) are not oriented orthogonally to the surface. Since in the preferred examples described the optical axes of the projection device and recording device outside the optical sensor coincide, the direction z also denotesthe imaging direction.For the sake of simplicity, it is assumed in this text that the different pattern directions of different lines of the pattern coincide with the axes of the image pointcoordinate system, designated as x and y axes. It is also always assumed in theillustration that the pattern orientations x, y and the image coordinate axes x, y are orthogonally aligned with each other. However, this is not necessaryaccording to the invention. The various coordinate systems can be mathematicallytransformed or converted into one another by the skilled person in a knownmanner based on fundamentally simple geometric considerations. In such a case,however, the representation is no longer clearly comprehensible. Therefore, anorthogonal illustration is chosen to describe the invention.April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO If the surface is oriented perpendicular (orthogonal) to the projection direction, thespacing ^^, ^^ between the phase points (pattern elements) in the image is thesame (constant in the sense defined above). This means that the phase slope^^ / ^^ or ^^ / ^^ is constant along each pattern direction (regardless of thelocation of the image coordinates (x, y)). If the surface is tilted along one or moreof the at least two pattern directions, the phase slopes ^^ / ^^ and / or ^^ / ^^ alongthe different pattern directions generally vary depending on the location of theimage coordinates (^, ^). In other words, the phase slopes along the differentpattern directions depend on the image point coordinates. Mathematicallyspeaking, the phase slopes ^^ / ^^, ^^ / ^^, ^^ / (^^, ^^) are functions of thelocation of the image coordinates ^(^, ^). If the phase spacing ^^ is known andthe image coordinates (^, ^) of the pattern elements or pattern points aredetermined from the image data, the phase slope ^^ / ^^ and / or ^^ / ^^ can becalculated directly, wherein ^^, ^^ is the spacing of two pattern elements in theimage coordinates or can at least be determined therefrom.The case ^ = ^^ / (^^, ^^) describes a tilting of the surface in any spatial direction,i.e. simultaneously a tilting in the ^-direction and a tilting in the ^-direction.This is illustrated in Fig. 1 using the example of a sinusoidal oscillation as a periodic structure to explain the measurement principle. Fig. 2 then shows schematically phase slopes for a concrete pattern, which may represent a possible (and preferred) embodiment of the invention. The features andadvantages mentioned in the explanation of Figs. 1 and 2 are, each for itself, partof the subject matter of the invention, even independently of other features not necessarily technically related thereto. Figs. 3 to 5 illustrate the geometricalconsiderations necessary to determine the orienting of the surface of theworkpiece from the phase slopes, wherein the imaging properties of the recordingoptics and / or the projection optics must also be considered. The consideration of the optics is known to the skilled person in the context of a usual image evaluationApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO and is not described separately. A more detailed description of Fig.1 to Fig.5 will follow later. In accordance with the invention, use is thus made of the fact that the spatial spacing of the pattern elements in the recorded image varies when the surface onto which the pattern is projected is tilted, with the phase slope remaining constant regardless of the location when it is rotated about an axis parallel to thepattern direction and the phase slope changing dependent on the location whenit is rotated about an axis perpendicular to the pattern direction. From this, theorienting of the surface of the workpiece relative to the optical sensor can beidentified. A particular advantage of the invention is that the phase slope of pattern elements arranged periodically along a pattern direction can be determined very easily from the optically captured images. The phase slope can be identified very quickly because the measuring points (pattern elements) belonging to a phase slope can be identified in the image and their image point coordinates are immediately available after identification. Nevertheless, identifying the phase slope is based on a functional relationship between many individual measurement points, which can be evaluated by adapting a function describing the functional relationship to the measurement points (fit), thereby achieving a smoothing of the measurement points using standard procedures. Outliers can be excluded from themeasurement series, and a reliable qualitative and quantitative evaluation of themeasurement can be carried out. Individual measuring points that are not visible in the image do not lead to a disturbance in the measurement.The orienting of the surface of a tool relative to the optical sensor can thus bedetermined quickly and reliably from the phase slopes in the various pattern directions. Optionally, the optical sensor can be defined or fixed on a tool in such a way that the pattern is projected and recorded in the working area of the tool onApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WOthe surface of the workpiece around the point of work, wherein a point of workthat is optically recognizable on the surface of the workpiece can also be visiblein the image of the pattern. In principle, the point of work can also be determinedif it is not visible in the image, e.g. if the workpiece is calibrated in the same (identical) coordinate system as the optical sensor and the points of work on the workpiece are known. According to the invention, the optical sensor is calibrated, wherein the projection device and the recording device are each of them calibrated to an identical coordinate system. Calibrations of optical systems to one another, i.e. in acommon coordinate system, are known, wherein a common (identical) coordinatesystem is also considered to be different coordinate systems which can be clearly converted into one another by means of (a known) conversion. In principle, it isirrelevant for the methods and device described according to the invention how acalibration is carried out. In this respect, all known calibration methods are applicable. Certain aspects of a preferred calibration according to the invention are described below, it being apparent to the skilled person that the features described each of them, when applied independently of one another, bring certain advantages and can therefore also be the subject of the invention independently of one another. Preferably, the recording device, in particular a digital camera, and the projection device for pattern projection are calibrated independently of one another to avoid mutual influence of the calibration. According to a further aspect of the invention, the recording device and the projection device of the optical sensor can bearranged in space fixedly relative to each other, for example in a common sensorhousing. This means that the coordinate system between the projection device and the recording device does not change when the position of the optical sensor relative to the surface changes. This accelerates the evaluation of the image data for determining the orientation of the surface and makes it possible to combineApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WOthe method for determining the orienting according to the invention particularlyeasily with a method for orienting a tool at the point of work of a surface, which is also subject of the invention. In accordance with the invention, the optical sensor, also referred to as the sensor device, can be fixed to a tool that is intended for machining the workpiece at the point of work of the workpiece. In this case, the sensor device can additionally be calibrated to the machining point of the tool (Tool Center Point TCP), for exampleby the machining point of the tool forming the origin of the coordinate system towhich the sensor device is calibrated. For calibration, for example, an attachmentthat can be fixed to the tool can be mounted, said attachment marking a machiningpoint of the tool (TCP) and preferably also being optically transparent tosimultaneously see the workpiece in the image. The machining point of the tool isthen imaged with the sensor's recording device and defines the point of work onthe workpiece surface in the image. Preferably, the sensor device or the recordingdevice respectively, is fixed to the tool in such way that the optical axis of therecording device passes through the machining point of the tool. This alsosimplifies image evaluation when determining the orienting. Calibrating the opticalsensor to a tool device, or to the tool of the tool device, is preferably a third and final, but basically optional, calibration step.A preferably first step is to calibrate the recording device (camera). For thispurpose, according to a preferred embodiment, the sensor device with the recording device can be positioned at a known spacing in front of a known (arbitrary) pattern and an image of the pattern can be recorded. By determining the known spacing of the pattern and the arrangement of the pattern elements in the pattern, the calibration parameters for calculating the distance of the recording device from the pattern and for correcting the distortion of the optical system(recording optics) of the recording device can be determined.April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO A preferably second step is to calibrate the projection device. For this purpose, the pattern is projected by means of the projection device onto a projection surface, which is arranged at a preferably known spacing and preferablyorthogonally to the projection direction (i.e. to the optical axis of the projectiondevice). The projected pattern is imaged with the already calibrated recordingdevice. The calibration parameters of the recording device are applied to therecorded or captured image. The image corrected in this way serves as areference image of the pattern for identifying the calibration parameters of the projection device and the distortion of the optical system (in particular the lenses of the projection optics) as well as the absolute size of the pattern and the spacing of the pattern elements. With the optical sensor (sensor device) calibrated in this way, absolute measurements of the pattern can be carried out, i.e. the pattern points on a projection surface can be identified in three-dimensional space. A preferably third step calibrates the optical sensor fixed to a tool or tool device (e.g. by means of the attachment that can be fixed to the tool as described above) in such way that the optical axis of the recording device (e.g. the center of the image field) and / or the projected pattern (e.g. the center of the pattern) passes through the working point of the tool (TCP). This makes the evaluation of theimage particularly easy and accurate for identifying the orienting of the surfacearound the point of work of the tool. In principle, the optical sensor and the tool device do not necessarily have to be mechanically fixed to each other. According to the invention, it is sufficient for the optical sensor and the tool device to becalibrated with respect to one another so that the posture of the pattern relativeto the machining point of the tool can be determined. In this text this also isunderstood as the optical sensor and the tool device being fixed to each other.Nevertheless, a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention is an actual mechanical fixing together.April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO According to a preferred embodiment of the method, the projection of the patterncan be carried out with telecentric optics of the optical sensor (i.e. the projectiondevice of the optical sensor) and the imaging of the pattern can be carried out with entocentric optics of the optical sensor (i.e. the recording device of the opticalsensor), or the projection of the pattern can be carried out with entocentric opticsof the optical sensor (i.e. the projection device of the optical sensor) and the imaging of the pattern can be carried out with entocentric optics of the opticalsensor (i.e. the recording device of the optical sensor).With telecentric optics, the beam path progresses parallel to the optical axis. This means that the image size in the optics does not change depending on the working distance. With entocentric optics, the beam path progresses at an opening angle to the optical axis. As a result, the image size changes with thespacing from the object. When projecting and imaging a pattern, the combinationof telecentric and entocentric optics allows the spacing of the projected pattern from the recording device to be identified particularly easily and quickly, especiallyin an image of the pattern.Preferably, the pattern is projected with telecentric optics and imaged withentocentric optics. This means that the pattern in the projection, and therefore also as a projected pattern on the surface of the workpiece, is always the same size, regardless of the projection distance. This is particularly advantageous because the pattern always looks the same and the resolution of the pattern at the point of work is always the same regardless of the distance to the point of work. The results of the measurement are therefore comparable and have acomparable accuracy. As a result, the image scale of the image changes with thespacing and allows a simple distance measurement between the optical sensor and the surface of the workpiece onto which the pattern is projected. With a telecentric projection of the pattern according to the invention, distanceApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO measurement is particularly simple because the spacing depends only on the image scale of the image. This is particularly advantageous when the proposed method is used for positioning and orienting a tool with its machining point on the surface of the workpiece at the point of work. According to a further embodiment of the method, the recording device and the projection device of the optical sensor can optionally use the same optical axis. This means that the optical axes of the recording device and the sensor device coincide, at least outside of the optical sensor. This can be achieved, for example, by coupling the projection of the pattern into the beam path of the recording device by means of a beam coupler or beam splitter. The advantage of this arrangementis also that the image evaluation of the optical sensor images is simplified andthus accelerated. Speeding up the evaluation is particularly advantageous for process lines because the workpieces can be processed more quickly. According to a preferred variant of the method, the length of the pattern in the at least two pattern directions can be detected and used to determine a preliminaryorienting of the surface of the workpiece, which is used as a starting point fordetermining the orienting of the surface of the workpiece relative to the opticalsensor from the determined course of the phase slope. The length of the patternalong each pattern direction can be easily identified from the image coordinates. From this, the spacing of the pattern and a tilt of the surface can be directly deduced. From the known length of the pattern along a pattern direction, the spacing of the surface from the optical sensor can be determined. Since the recording device and the projection device are calibrated, the distance of the pattern can be accurately measured and specified. This simplifies and accelerates theApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO implementation of the method according to the invention for determining the orientation of the surface based on the phase slopes in the different pattern directions, because a rough orientation is already known. In principle, it is also possible to determine the spacing by comparing it with a previously recorded comparison image of the pattern at a known spacing, e.g. at the desired working distance. In this way, a simple comparison of the length of the pattern in the comparison image and in a currently recorded image can bemade to decide whether the spacing is larger (in particular, smaller length of thepattern than in the comparison image) or smaller (in particular, larger length thanin the comparison image). If the length of the pattern in the comparison image and in the current image is the same, the spacing then corresponds exactly to the spacing of the surface when the comparison image was taken, for example the desired working distance. In principle, a comparison can also be used to determine the orientation of the surface. This can also be understood to mean acalibration of the recording device and projection device of the optical sensor,which enables the approaching and orienting of a tool at the point of work of the workpiece surface, even if, according to the invention, a calibration preferably enables the specification of coordinate values. Based on the length of the pattern in the at least two pattern directions, which can be determined, for example, by the spacing of the end points, not only the spacingbut also the distortion of the pattern and thus the orienting of the surface of theworkpiece relative to the sensor can be approximately determined if the pattern is known. The end points connecting straight lines and their distortion can also be used for this purpose based on simple geometric considerations. For example, diagonal straight lines from end points of different lines of pattern elements (in different pattern directions) can also be used. This makes it possible to determinethe orienting of the surface based on a comparison of the lengths of the patternsin each of the (two or possibly several or even all) pattern directions, in additionApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO to identifying the spacing. It is also possible to determine the distance for each of the patterns in each projection direction and correlate the results with each other. However, this evaluation is still quite inaccurate because it is only based on the evaluation of a few pattern points (with the corresponding measurement errors). Therefore, according to the invention, it is provided that the preliminary orientation of the surface of the workpiece can (only) be used as a starting point fordetermining the orienting of the surface of the workpiece from the determinedcourse of the phase slope. For example, the preliminary orienting makes itpossible to determine phase slopes in the various pattern directions and to compare them with the phase slopes determined from the image data. The phase slope is directly correlated with the tilting of the surface in this pattern direction. By numerically iterating the different tilt angles, for example, it is possible todetermine the orienting that best matches the measured values of the phaseslopes. According to a particularly preferred variant of the method proposed according to the invention, it may be provided that the determining of the phase slope in theimage of the pattern elements is carried out by means of a Moiré beating of theperiodically arranged pattern elements in the image. In a manner known to the skilled person, the recording (image) of a periodic pattern with a first periodic pitchof the pattern elements by imaging the pattern with a recording device with asecond periodic arrangement of recording elements (such as pixels of a digital camera) results in a Moiré beating if the periodic pitch of the arrangement of the recording elements is not equal to the periodic pitch of the pattern elements. For example, when two line grids are superimposed, long-period brightness modulations appear if the pitches deviate slightly from each other. Such a small deviation can be achieved in the method according to the invention by suitably combining several (physically predefined) recording elements of the recording device into (virtually defined) pixels. In this way, the effect of Moiré beating canApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO be influenced in such a way that a particularly long-period beating is created, which particularly improves the measurement accuracy. Moiré beating also occurs when periodic patterns are rotated, regardless of whether the periodic pitch of the patterns is the same or different. Moiré beating can be calculated by a skilled person in a known manner and can therefore be used to describe patterns in image recordings with high accuracy and thus ot determine theirorienting relative to a recording device much more accurately than is possiblefrom a direct image of the pattern. By using the Moiré beating of the patternprojected onto a surface, the orientation of the surface can therefore be determined with particular accuracy. According to a further aspect, the invention also relates to a device for determiningthe orienting of a surface of a workpiece in an area around a point of work of theworkpiece, wherein the device comprises an optical sensor with a projection device and with a recording device, a positioning device and a control and evaluation device. The projection device of the optical sensor is adapted to project a predefined pattern, and the recording device of the optical sensor is adapted torecord or capture an image of the projected pattern. The positioning device has acontrollable manipulator which (when controlled accordingly) positions the optical sensor in space relative to the workpiece so that the pattern can be projected in the area around a point of work of the workpiece. The projection device, the recording device and the positioning device are calibrated with respect to one another in an identical or common coordinate system. Calibrating the variousdevices to an identical (i.e. common) coordinate system leads in particular to theeffect that the determination of the orienting of a surface in space (comprising itsposition and orientation) carried out according to the invention can be describedin the coordinates of this identical (common) coordinate system. Calibrating theoptical sensor, in particular comprising the projection device and the recordingdevice (in particular also comprising the optics of these devices), to this identical coordinate system means that the pattern elements of the pattern in the projectionApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO are known in three-dimensional space or in spatial axes, respectively. The sameapplies to the path of the visual beams of the recording device in space, withwhich the individual pattern elements are detected and depicted in the two-dimensional recording (image). This makes it possible, in a manner known to the skilled person, to determine the spatial arrangement of the various pattern elements in the coordinates of the coordinate system to which the devices are calibrated. For this purpose, there are available various geometric and / or numerical methods which are known to the skilled person and which can be used each of them alone or in combination. These methods are part of the technical knowledge of the skilled person, as are the methods for the aforementionedcalibrating, and are not explained in the basic features unless special aspects ofcalibration and position detection are described. The control and evaluation device comprises a computing unit with a processor, wherein the processor of the computing unit is adapted by program code means to carry out the method steps defined in one of claims 1 to 6 or otherwisedescribed in the description of the invention, each of them alone or in a technicallymeaningful combination. In particular, carrying out the method steps may alsocomprise the corresponding control of the units of the device, in particular theprojection device, the recording device and / or the positioning device. In particular, the control and recording device is in any case adapted to carry out the following method steps: Projecting a pattern onto the surface of the workpiece (by meansof the projection device), imaging the pattern projected onto the surface (bymeans of the recording device), determining a phase slope in the image of thepattern elements and identifying the orienting of the surface relative to the opticalsensor (and thus also in the coordinate system to which the optical sensor iscalibrated) from the determined phase slopes.The computing unit may comprise one or more separate units, each of the units comprising one or more processors. Each of the units may be incorporated intoApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO one of the other devices, in particular the optical sensor, the projection device,the recording device or the positioning devices, and / or, as a unit, be incommunication with one or more of the other devices by means of communication links. The latter applies regardless of whether the computing unit (also one ofseveral units) is arranged as a separate unit or is integrated into one of thedevices. Preferably, the optical axis of the projection device and the optical axis of the recording device can coincide spatially in the device (i.e. lie on top of each other), preferably at least outside of the optical sensor. For this purpose, according to the invention, a beam splitter is preferably arranged or disposed in the optical beam path of the optical axis of the projection device and the recording device, via which the optical axis of the projection device is coupled into the optical axis of the recording device (which is a particularly preferred embodiment according to the invention) or via which the optical axis of the recording device is decoupled from the optical axis of the projection device. According to the invention, this ensures that the projection direction and the recording direction outside the optical sensor, i.e. in its measuring range, are spatially identical, which considerably simplifies the evaluation and results in a (particularly optically) compact sensor, becauseonly one optically free area has to be kept free for projection and recording in thearrangement. This is particularly advantageous in automated production lines inwhich different processes are carried out by devices controlled by differentmanipulators in the room, and one area must be kept free when the devices aremoved in the room in order to enable optical control and monitoring of a tool, for example. As a result, the optical sensor and the device as a whole are as compact as possible. In a preferred embodiment, the pattern projected by the projection device maycomprise a line (or also several lines) of periodically arranged pattern elementsin each of at least two different pattern directions. Preferably according to theApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO invention, one or each line may be arranged along a straight line. According to a preferred embodiment, a pattern in two different pattern directions can accordinglybe achieved by at least two lines of pattern elements each arranged along of astraight line, wherein these straight lines run at an angle to one another, preferablyat a right angle. The straight lines in the different pattern directions are thus notarranged in parallel.A particularly preferred embodiment of a pattern is a pattern formed as a rectangleof straight lines of pattern elements, preferably as a square with four straight linesof equal length. In such an arrangement, two lines opposite to each other are arranged in parallel, respectively. The pattern elements arranged periodicallyalong the line can be designed as strokes aligned orthogonally to the line. Endmarkings in the form of rectangles, squares or circles can be provided at the corners of the rectangle or square. This makes it easy to detect the corner points in the images of the pattern. In principle, however, the shape of the corner points can be freely selected. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which the device alsocomprises a tool device, which is preferably also calibrated to the identicalcoordinate system as the optical sensor and is described below, it can be providedthat the point of application of the tool device or tool (also referred to as themachining point) lies within an area completely or at least partially surrounded by the projected pattern. This can be set during calibration by orienting the opticalsensor at the workpiece. This ensures that the orienting of the surface of theworkpiece to be machined relative to the tool at the point of work can be determined and set particularly accurately. With a pattern formed as a rectangle or square, as described according to oneembodiment above, the point of application of the tool and the point of intersectionof the diagonals engaging in the corners of the rectangle or square can lie on topApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WOof each other. This means that the point of work is located in the center of theprojected pattern. In principle, other shapes of the pattern can also be selected, e.g. as a closed circle or closed ellipse, as a partial circle or partial ellipse, as two legs of a triangle without hypotenuse, as an open or closed polygon or other two-dimensionalshapes. In the case of open two-dimensional shapes, the point of application ofthe tool device lies in an area partially surrounded by the pattern, meaning inparticular that the point of application is arranged within a body that is createdwhen the open ends of the shapes are connected by a straight line. A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention according to the invention may provide that the device comprises a tool device, the tool device preferably being fixed (i.e. not being adjustable relative to one another during operation) to the optical sensor, so that the tool device and the sensor device are positionedtogether and in the same way (also in the sense of moved or adjusted) by thepositioning device. They are then calibrated (together with the other devices) to the identical (common) coordinate system. By calibrating the tool device, the pointof application of the tool of the tool device is known and can thus be positionedfor application on the workpiece surface, the orienting of which (in particularposition and orientation or posture) can be determined quickly and accuratelyusing the method described according to the invention. The point of application ofthe tool is also referred to synonymously as the machining point of the tool or thedevice. The point of application or machining point of the tool can be, for example,the screw tip of a screwing tool, the riveting point of a riveting tool, the applicationnozzle of an applicator (for applying a glue bead), the grinding point of a polishingor grinding tool, the drill tip of a drilling tool or any other point of application of other tools for machining a workpiece.April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO Accordingly, the tool device can be a screwing tool, a riveting tool, an applicatorfor glue, e.g. its application nozzle for glue, or another joining or surfaceprocessing tool which is usable in a joining or processing method of workpieces. In particular, this also includes drilling tools, grinding or polishing tools, welding tools or the like. With these tools, it is often particularly important that the tools engage with the workpiece surface at a certain angle. In the case of screwing or riveting tools, it is necessary in many applications for the tool to be oriented perpendicular to the workpiece surface during machining (screwing, riveting). In principle, however, the invention relates to any orientation that can be determined and set particularly reliably using the method according to the invention. Accordingly, the present invention also relates to a method for orienting a device,in particular according to any one of claims 10 or 11, at the point of work at thesurface of the workpiece to be machined with the tool device of the device, wherein the following steps are carried out:In one step, pre-positioning of the device is carried out in front of the surface ofthe workpiece in the area around the point of work on the surface. Pre-positioningassumes that the position of the point of work of the workpiece is known in the coordinate system to which the device is calibrated (i.e. the coordinate system referred to as the identical or common coordinate system). This can be the case if the workpiece is held in a defined manner on a stationary or moving tool carrier and the tool carrier is calibrated in the common coordinate system. Calibrating can be carried out for a stationary tool carrier as well as for a moving tool carrier. A moving tool carrier can comprise a position encoder that outputs a currentposition of the tool carrier, wherein this current position is transmitted to thecontrol and evaluation device. This control and evaluation device then knows theposition of the tool carrier and the position of the tool held on the tool carrier. Furthermore, it is assumed that the at least one point of work on the workpiece isknown in the control and evaluation device. This can be done, for example, byApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO means of a corresponding configuration file for the workpiece to be machined, in which all points of work on the workpiece are known. The control and evaluation device can then use the position of the workpiece in the common coordinate system to determine the positions of the points of work in the common coordinate system. If these aforementioned positions are not known, the pre-positioning stepincludes a corresponding calibrating the workpiece, in which the correspondingpositions of the workpiece and points of work are determined and / or queried using methods known to the skilled person. In a process line, a single calibration after adapting or changing the process line is often sufficient. Alternatively, pre-positioning can also be carried out by a recording device (camera), either by the recording device of the optical sensor or an additional recording device, which is provided, for example, on the device or a manipulator moving the device and is also calibrated to the common (identical) coordinate system. The workpiece and / or the (optically recognizable) points of work on the surface of the workpiece can be searched for, identified and their orientation in space can be determined using the recording device. Methods for this are also known to the skilled person from the prior art. If necessary, the skilled person alsoincludes such a method in the pre-positioning step to calibrate the workpiece.Calibrating the workpiece comprises at least the steps of identifying the positionof the workpiece surface relative to the tool device (or device) and identifying the point or points of work on the surface of the workpiece. As soon as the points of work in space have been determined, pre-positioning can take place.A further step provides for carrying out the method for determining the orientationof the surface of the workpiece, in particular according to any one of claims 1 to 6 or as described above in different variants and with optional method steps.April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO A further step involves positioning the device with a point of application (machining point) of the tool (identified by calibrating the tool device in the device)at the point of work of the workpiece (or at the workpiece surface, respectively)and orienting the device in a predetermined posture relative to the workpiecesurface for use of the tool. For this purpose, the control and evaluation device of the device is adapted to determine, in the identical (common) coordinate system from the image of the pattern projected onto the surface, a deviation of theorientation of the surface of the workpiece from the predefined posture of thedevice relative to the workpiece surface for the use of the tool, to determine aspacing between the point of application of the tool of the tool device and the pointof work on the workpiece surface, to determine one or more setting commands to the positioning device of the device based on the determined deviation of the orientation and based on the determined spacing, and to transmit the settingcommand or commands to the positioning device of the device for carrying outthe positioning movement. It is possible to detect the position of the calibrated device with the tool (i.e. the machining point of the tool) relative to the point of work on the workpiece surface from the image of the pattern projected onto the surface and features of thesurface, wherein the features of the surface and the posture of the featuresrelative to the point of work on the surface of the workpiece are known (calibrated). In a simple embodiment, the point of work on the workpiece surface can be optically recognizable and identifiable in the image. In this case, theassignment can be made solely based on the image of the recording device.Otherwise, the data can be taught in as part of calibrating the workpiece surface.The positions of the point of work or the multiple points of work on the workpiece surface and the in each case current position of the device (or the current position of the machining point of the tool) can be known in 3-dimensional coordinatepoints of the common coordinate system (also referred to as the identicalApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO coordinate system). The positioning device with the controllable manipulator can then be controlled by the control and evaluation device by means of controls known to the skilled person and available in the prior art in such a way that the position of the machining point of the tool corresponds to the point of work on theworkpiece surface and that the orientation or posture of the device with the tool(or the tool, respectively) is oriented relative to the orientation of the surface in such a way that the tool engages the position of the point of work of the surfacein the direction desired or predefined for machining (e.g. defined in calibrationdata of the device). Position and orientation (posture) are referred to as orienting. According to the invention, an alternative specification of position and orientationis also possible by positioning and orientating, i.e. orienting overall, the devicewith the point of application (machining point) of the tool at the point of work, andstoring the image of the projected pattern. In this way, each point of work on the workpiece surface can be taught in. Orienting the device at the point of work can then be done via an image comparison. The calibrated machining point of the tool, which may be superimposed on the recorded image of the recording device, is brought into alignment with the point of work on the workpiece surface to adjust the position of the machining point of the tool, and the projected pattern is brought into alignment with the pattern recorded in the stored image to adjust the orienting. This results in an arrangement at the correct spacing and tilt (i.e. the posture ororientation of the device relative to the posture or orientation of the workpiecesurface). According to the invention, the method described here represents a use of themethod for determining the orienting of a surface of a workpiece, as described atthe beginning and in the following with reference to examples, in particular according to one of claims 1 to 6 for orienting a device according to claims 7 to 11, and particularly preferably according to one of claims 10 or 11.April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WOAccording to a preferred embodiment, the method for orienting the device mayprovide that the orienting of the device is carried out iteratively by, after carryingout the setting command or commands for correcting the spacing and orientation,again determining the orienting of the workpiece surface at the point of work ofthe workpiece and repeatedly carrying out the positioning and orienting (asdescribed in claim 12), until the spacing between the point of application (machining point) of the tool of the tool device (or the device) and the point of work on the workpiece surface is less than a predefined limit value and until a deviation of the orientation of the workpiece surface relative to the predefined orientation of the device relative to the workpiece surface is less than a predefined limit value. In one embodiment of the method according to the invention, it can be provided that the deviation of the orientation in each of the pattern directions must be smaller than a predefined limit value, preferably the same predefined limitvalue, until the iteration is terminated. The limit value of the deviation of thespacing can be predefined as a distance, and the limit value of the deviation ofthe orientation can be predefined as an angle, in particular related to a patterndirection. Furthermore, in the method for orienting the device according to the invention, itcan be provided that a spacing between the point of application of the tool of thetool device and the point of work on the workpiece surface is determined. A settingcommand is then determined based on the spacing, and the setting command iscarried out before a deviation of the orientation of the workpiece surface of the workpiece relative to the predefined orientation of the device relative to the workpiece surface is determined. This ensures that the position is corrected first and then the orientation is corrected to the correct position. When correcting the orientation, the position may change slightly. Because the orientation of the device is usually already quite good due to a suitable approximate preliminary orienting, there are usually onlyApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO small deviations in the position when correcting the orientation. It has been found that in many cases of orienting, the iteration converges in this way the fastest andthe method of orienting is in this way faster. This leads to significant time savingsin production systems. In principle, however, it is also possible to correct the deviation of the orientation in a first step, and subsequently the spacing betweenthe point of application (machining point) and the point of work.A particularly preferred option for orienting the device according to the inventionis to calculate the spacing of the machining point and the point of work and thedeviation of the orientation of the device or tool device or tool, respectively,together for each pattern direction (e.g. in the control and evaluation device or aseparate control unit of the positioning device) in one common setting command,which executes all corrections in one setting command. Such control software for manipulators is known. In this case, there is often no need for iteration. A further optional variant of the proposed method for orienting the device with tool can provide for the tool actuation to be released after the device has been oriented. This can prevent incorrect actuation of the tools. Further advantages, features and potential applications of the invention are also apparent from the following description of embodiments and the drawing. In this context, all features, either individually or in a technically meaningful combination, form part of the subject matter of the invention, even independently of the summary of the features in the claims, in various embodiment examples or in the drawing.Fig. 1a to 1e schematically show representation of the basic measuringprinciple of an embodiment of the method according to the invention for determining the orienting;April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WOFig. 2a to 2c schematically show of a pattern suitable according to theinvention for projection by the projection device and the qualitativeeffects on the derivation of the phase according to the location;Fig. 3a to 3b schematically show the geometric relationships in orthogonalprojection and imaging of the pattern on a workpiece surface;Fig. 4a to 4c schematically show the geometric relationships in tilted projectedand imaging of the pattern on a workpiece surface;Fig. 5 schematically shows beam-optical variables for identifying the tilt ^ ofthe workpiece surface from the slope ^^⁄ ^^ from the recorded imageof the pattern according to one embodiment;Fig. 6 schematically shows of a device for determining the orientating of asurface of a workpiece with a projection device and a positioning device according to an embodiment of the invention;Fig. 7 schematically shows of the device according to Fig. 6 with a tool deviceaccording to an embodiment;Fig. 8 schematically shows the course of a method according to claim 6 forpositioning a device according to one of claims 7 to 11 in front of a workpiece surface according to an embodiment. With reference to Figs. 1 to 5, an embodiment of a method according to the invention for determining the orientation of a surface of a workpiece is first described according to schematic diagrams to explain the basic measuring principle. The sketches explain the technical relationships of the method to theskilled person, so that the skilled person is enabled to implement the inventionApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO using concrete implementation steps and to create the necessary data processing programs. These can be implemented both analytically based on the beam geometry shown and numerically using fundamentally known algorithms and methods for image and position recognition and as a combination of analytical and numerical methods. The starting point in each case is the projection of a periodic pattern with patternelements arranged periodically in a pattern direction onto a workpiece surface,with the pattern extending in two different, particularly preferably two orthogonal, pattern directions. The individual pattern elements are arranged periodically in each of the pattern directions. The projected pattern is recorded on the workpiece surface. In the image of the pattern, the periodic structure of the pattern is recognizable, either directly as the recorded pattern elements or as Moiré beating, in which the periodic pattern is superimposed with the periodic structure of the sensor (in particular the sensor pixels of a camera). The Moiré effect can be described analytically using formulas that allow the projected pattern to be reconstructed. The principle of evaluation is basically the same, although Moiré beating captures the periodicity of the patternmore accurately and with better resolution. This allows the orientating of thesurface relative to the sensor or the device according to the invention to be identified more accurately. However, the basic technical principle is described below using the recorded pattern itself, as this is more illustrative.In a recorded image, the pattern elements are detectable and can be describedas sinusoidal oscillations according to their periodicity.Fig. 1a shows the course of the sine-wave oscillation ^^^ (^) as a function of thephase for three full oscillations (i.e. three periods). The zero crossings of theoscillation are located at defined phase points ^^, ^^, ^^,^^,^^, ^^, ^^ where theApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO pattern elements are arranged. Due to the periodic structure of the pattern, thephase spacing ^^ between all phase points is therefore the same.In the example considered here, the pattern elements ^^, ^^, ^^, ^^, ^^ ofthe projected pattern can be recognized at these zero crossings in the image atlocations ^ of the image (in the direction of the pattern direction ^). This is shownin Fig. 1b for a projection onto a flat surface, wherein the projection direction ^ isoriented perpendicular to the flat surface. The pattern elements are shownhere as lines with an extension in the ^ direction (projection direction), which theydo not have in the projection. This improves the visibility of the pattern elements ^^in the representation. Due to this relative (orthogonal) arrangement of thesurface to the projection direction ^ of the pattern, the spacing ^^^ between thepattern elements is also the same in the image.Accordingly, the phase slope ^^ / ^^ is constant as a function of the location ^ inthe image, as shown in Fig.1c. If the surface onto which the pattern is projected is rotated about an axis thatprogresses in the direction of the pattern direction ^ (see Figs. 1b and 1d), thespacing of the pattern elements in the image changes, as shown in Fig. 1d forthe case in which the distance of the pattern element ^^ from the image is smallerthan the distance of the pattern element ^^. Accordingly, the spacing ^^^ betweenthe pattern elements ^^ and^^ in the image is larger than the spacing ^^^ of thepattern elements ^^ and ^^. With the constant phase spacing ^^ between allphase points, the phase slope ^^ / ^^ changes accordingly as a function of thelocation ^ in the image, as shown qualitatively in Fig. 1e.The phase slope ^^ / ^^, which is determined from the image of the projectedpattern along the line of pattern elements in this pattern direction, iscorrespondingly a measure of the orienting of the surface of a workpiece inApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO relation to this pattern direction of the projected pattern. By projecting periodicallyarranged pattern elements in one line each in two different pattern directions (i.e.in non-parallel directions, preferably in mutually orthogonal directions), theorienting of the surface of the workpiece relative to the optical sensor can thus bedetermined. If the optical sensor is fixed or is fixedly arranged directly to a tool device for machining the surface at the point of work of the workpiece, the optical sensor can be used particularly easily in accordance with the invention to determine the orientation of the tool relative to the surface. Fig. 2a shows a pattern 18 with pattern elements formed as strokes, which are arranged between (in this example, without limiting the generality) square pattern end points. In each of the pattern directions x, y, two lines of pattern elements are formed, with two lines in different pattern directions x, y each intersecting a common corner point. The pattern orientations x, y are oriented orthogonally to each other, and the spacing between each of two corner points is the same. Therecording direction z is perpendicular to the plane spanned by the patterndirections, which is viewed orthogonally from above in Fig.2a. The (entire) pattern 18 can therefore be described as a square with square pattern end points, eachof which is connected by strokes as pattern elements arranged periodically alonga cuboid side in a periodic division. The strokes are arranged perpendicular to an imaginary connecting line of the pattern end points in the same way, i.e. all strokes are of the same length and the stroke ends of one side lie on a straight line that progresses parallel to the imaginary connecting line. This pattern shown in Fig.2a represents a possible pattern that can be used as asuitable pattern according to the invention for carrying out the method proposedaccording to the invention. The advantage is that the end points and thus the length of each (partial) pattern, in the sense of the line of periodically arrangedApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO pattern elements, can be easily recognized and determined in the images. The periodicity of the individual pattern elements can also be easily identified. However, the invention is not limited to this specific pattern 18, either in terms of the structure or shape of the pattern elements or their arrangement.There are thus provided a total of four lines A, B, C, D, each of which has aperiodic structure. The phase slope of the periodic pattern elements can be identified for each of these lines A, B, C, D, as described for one line in Fig.1. If the pattern 18, as shown in Fig. 2a, is projected onto a plane alignedperpendicular to the projection direction, the phase slopes for the different linesare the same and constant. This is shown in Fig.2b and Fig.2c for the different lines A, B, C, D of the pattern by the dashed lines, which describe the local phaseslope, i.e. the phase slope ^^ / ^^ and ^^ / ^^ at different locations x, y,respectively, along the pattern directions x, y in Fig.2a. Fig. 2b shows the phase slopes that result when the surface onto which the pattern is projected is rotated about the axis y in such a way that the line A is further away from the recording device than the line B (solid line). The phase slope^^ / ^^ then remains constant, but the spacing of the lines (pattern elements) inthe image is smaller for line A than for line B. The value for the phase slope ^^ / ^^increases accordingly for line A and the value for the phase slope ^^ / ^^decreases for line B. The value for the phase slope ^^ / ^^ , on the other hand, isnot constant for lines C and D. Fig. 2c shows the phase slopes that result when the surface onto which the pattern is projected is rotated around the axis x in such a way that line C is further away from the recording device than line D (solid line). There are correspondingchanges in the phase slopes ^^ / ^^ and ^^ / ^^.April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO The orientation of the surface of the workpiece onto which the pattern is projected can therefore be precisely determined from the various phase slopes. The relationships explained qualitatively in Figs. 2a, 2b and 2c are explained inmore detail in Figs. 3 to 5, wherein the projection situation and the recordingsituation in the image are illustrated by means of beam geometric considerations.In the example shown, one of the preferred embodiments is assumed, in which the pattern is projected using telecentric optics, in which the size of the patternremains constant regardless of the projection distance, and the image is capturedusing (conventional) entocentric optics, in which the beam path opens from therecording device. The basic principle of the measurement can be illustratedparticularly clearly in an optical system designed in this way according to the invention. In principle, however, an embodiment is also possible in which bothoptics of the recording device and the projection device are designed asentocentric optics. The only prerequisite for the evaluation is that the recording device and the projection device are calibrated, in a simple way to the same coordinate system (also referred to as identical or common coordinate system).Fig. 3a shows the projecting and imaging of a pattern with three pattern elements^^, ^^, ^^ onto a surface aligned orthogonally to the projection direction at twodifferent distances ℎ, ℎ′. Due to the telecentric projection optics, the pattern is ofthe same size at both distances ℎ, ℎ′ . The beam path of the recording device isrepresented by the visual beams limiting its aperture angle ^. The objectsdetected in the beam path are imaged in the image shown by the spacing betweenthe edge points ^ and ^ at the distance ℎ and ^′ and ^′ at the distance ℎ′ in Fig.3a. At the distance ℎ , the pattern covers the entire width of the image due to theopening angle ^. The pattern appears correspondingly large in the image. This isshown in Fig.3b, in which the image is scaled (i.e. in relation to the image widths^ − ^ and ^′ − ^′ which is constant regardless of the distance ℎ). Accordingly, theimage is significantly smaller at the larger distance ℎ'.April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WOThe spacing between the pattern elements ^^ and ^^ is constantly^^^ = ^^^ at the height ℎ and constantly ^^′^ = ^^′^ at the height ℎ′ due to thesurface being disposed orthogonally to the projection direction. However, thespacing is ^^^ > ^^^ ^. The phase spacing ^^ between all pattern elements isalways the same.Because ^^^ > ^^^ ^, it follows for the phase slope as a function of the location^^⁄ ^^^ < ^^⁄ ^^^ ^. In other words, the pattern located further away from therecording device comprises a larger (constant) phase slope ^^⁄ ^^ than thepattern located closer to the recording device, as shown in Figs. 2b and 2c.The values of ^^^, ^^′^ can be read directly from the image coordinates of thecalibrated recording device. Fig.4a shows the projection of the pattern onto a surface that is rotated about anaxis ^ that is perpendicular to the image plane (which is spanned by the projectiondirection ^ and the pattern direction ^). The pattern point of the pattern elementis located at a distance ℎ from the recording device, the pattern point of thepattern element ^^ is located at a distance ℎ^ > ℎ from the recording device andthe pattern point of the pattern element ^ ^^^ is located at a distance ℎ < ℎ fromthe recording device. The surface (or the projected pattern) is rotated by the angle^ relative to a plane disposed orthogonally to the projection direction (around theaxis ^). In the case shown, this orthogonally aligned plane is represented by adotted line that passes through the pattern element ^^.Due to the opening angle ^, the recording device "sees" the pattern elements ^^and ^^ in relation to the imaginary orthogonally oriented plane as patternelements ^′^ and ^′^, which are offset in relation to the pattern elements ^^ and^^with respect to the direction progressing perpendicular to the projectionApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WOdirection in the image plane (i.e. the pattern direction ^ in the case consideredhere).In the imaginary orthogonally aligned plane predefined by the pattern element ^^(assumed here as the imaginary image plane between the points F and G) at thedistance ℎ from the recording device, the spacing between two pattern elementsof a pattern arranged in this plane in the image coordinates is supposed to be just ^^, as shown in Fig.4b. This corresponds to the case shown in Fig.3. The spacing^^ therefore corresponds to the spacing of a phase of the periodic pattern inimage coordinates.In the image, the pattern point ^′^ of the actual pattern point ^^ is closer to thepattern point than the spacing ^^ (by the amount −^) and the pattern point ^′^of the actual pattern point ^^ is further away from the pattern point ^^ than thespacing^^ (by the amount +^).The image actually recorded by the recording device is shown in Fig.4c. Betweenthe pattern elements ^′^ and ^′^ there is a phase ^ in each of them.The local spacing between the phases ^^ and ^^ in the image sensor is therefore(^^ − ^) and (^^ + ^), respectively. These are the measured variables in therecorded image according to the invention.The phase slope ^^^⁄ (^^ − ^) at the more distant pattern point ^^ is larger thanthe phase slope ^^^⁄ (^^ + ^) at the closer pattern point ^^. The phase spacing^^^ between two neighboring pattern elements (pattern points) is always thesame and is ^^ = 1.As Fig. 4b shows, the deviations ^ depend on the tilt ^ of the surface relative tothe imaginary orthogonal surface. The tilt ^ of the surface (i.e. the orientation orApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WOposture, respectively, of the surface relative to the posture of the device) can beidentified from this dependence of the phase slope.The geometric dependence for identifying the tilting ^ of the surface based on thedetermined phase slope ^^⁄ ^^ at the various locations ^^ is explained below withreference to Fig.5. This shows that there is a fixed relationship between phase slope and tilting, which can be evaluated analytically or numerically using suitable calculation rules. One possibility for analytical evaluation is to use the dependencies described below in the formulas. However, this is not the only way to describe and evaluate the dependencies. In addition to other analytical algorithms, numerical, e.g. iterative, algorithms can also be used for this purpose. The skilled person will apply suitable algorithms according to their level of knowledge.In an image F - G according to Fig. 5 (bottom), the pattern elements ^^ and^′′^ are recognized at the locations (image positions) ^^, ^^ and ^^. The spacingsbetween every two neighboring pattern elements are ^^^ and ^′^^. These areavailable as measured variables. From this, the phase slope to the next patternelement or ^^, respectively, can be calculated at each of the pattern elements The heights ℎ^, ℎ^ and ℎ^ (generally: ℎ^) of the pattern elements (pattern points)^^, and ^^ (generally: ^^) can be determined by image evaluation andknowledge of the structure of the pattern using conventional image recognition and evaluation software, because the projection device and the recording device are calibrated to a common (identical) coordinate system. The opening angles^^, ^^, ^^ (generally: ^^) of the visual beams of the recording device to the patternelements ^^, and ^^ are also known or can be determined from the image.April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WOFor a (basically arbitrarily selected) reference height ℎ^ at the pattern point ^^,the phase slope to the next pattern point is:^Φ ^Φ = ^^^ ^^(ℎ^) + ^^respectively ^^ = ^^^ − ^^(ℎ^)Here, ^^(ℎ^) (generally:^^(ℎ^ )) is the phase spacing ^Φ in image coordinatesknown from calibrating the projection device and recording device for a verticalprojection at the reference height ℎ^ (generally: ℎ^), and ^^^ (generally: ^^^) is themeasured variable from the recorded image of the recording device.The deviation (generally: ^^) is a direct measure of the tilt ^ of the surface inthe pattern direction under consideration. The following applies: respectively ^ℎ^^^^^ = tan ^^^^and where ^ℎ^ is the difference in height between ℎ^ and ℎ^, or generally^ℎ^ = ℎ^ − ℎ^^^.The tilt angle ^ of the surface therefore generally results from or respectively April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WOThe lengths ^^, which describe the spacing of the projected pattern elements ^^along the surface in the pattern direction, result, for example, from the relationship The lengths ^^ of the distances ^^ result, for example, from therelationship A conversion of the image coordinates between the different reference heightsresults from the beam theorem, according to which the ratio between ^^^⁄ ^^′^ isthe same as the ratio of the distances where B is the focal point of therecording optics. Due to calibrating the recording device and the projection deviceto each other, the pattern point in the common coordinate system and thusalso the length of the distance ^ ^^^^^^^^ can be identified. The pattern point isknown to be at the height ℎ^. Therefore, the length of the distance ^ ^^^^^^^′^^ can alsobe identified.In general notation, the following results from the beam theorem for theconversion to different reference heights This allows the tilt angle ^ of the surface onto which the pattern is projected to bedetermined from the value ^ for the phase slope.Due to the pattern properties and the projection, the tilt angle ^ is the same atevery pattern point. This boundary condition can be used to identify the tilt angle of the surface particularly accurately. If the Moiré beating of the pattern elements in the image is recorded instead of the actual image of the pattern elements in theApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO image, the measurement accuracy can be increased even further due to the possibility of calculating the Moiré effect, which is known to the skilled person.The geometric relations from beam optics described above by way of exampleallow the orientation or posture of the surface of a workpiece to be determinedfrom the determined phase slope ^Φ^ / ^^^ by determining the tilt angle ^ of thesurface in the pattern direction relative to a plane oriented orthogonally to the projection direction of the pattern. This applies in the same way for the other pattern direction. It should be noted that there are also other algorithmic possibilities for identifying the orientation of the surface by means of an optical sensor, as described schematically below in a preferred embodiment. This applies in particular if the periodic structure of the pattern is described using a Moiré beating with the formulae (algorithms) known for this purpose, which allows the orientation of the surface to be detected particularly accurately. Based on the beam-optical relationships described according to the invention, the skilled person can determine and apply suitable algorithms for determining the orientation using the measurement method described in each case within the scope of his expert knowledge. The present invention is not limited to the use of a special algorithm for evaluating the measurements. Fig.6 shows a schematic representation of an optical sensor 1 according to the invention in accordance with a preferred embodiment. The optical sensor 1 canbe used in the method according to the invention to determine the orienting of thesurface of, for example, a workpiece at a point of work of the workpiece. For this purpose, the optical sensor 1 comprises a projection device 10, a recording device 20 and a control and evaluation device 30, which contains atApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO least part of the control and evaluation unit of the entire device according to the invention, which will be explained in more detail later with reference to Fig.7. The projection device 10 comprises a projector 11, which has a light source not shown and a pattern carrier illuminated by the light source, e.g. a slide on which the pattern is applied and which is illuminated by a strong light. However, the lightsource can also be constructed differently, e.g. as a display with display pixels ofvarying brightness that show the pattern. In the direction of radiation behind the light source and the pattern carrier is a projection lens 12, also not shown in detail, which projects the pattern located on the pattern carrier along a projection beam path 13.In a manner that is basically known in the particularly preferred embodimentexample described here, the projection optics 12 are designed as telecentric optics in which the projection beam path 13 does not widen with an opening angle. This ensures that the size of the projected pattern remains the same along the projection beam path. The projection optics 12 include, as shown here schematically in an example, a mirror 14, a lens 15 and a beam splitter 16, the lens 15 being arranged between the mirror 14 and the beam splitter 16. This arrangement ensures that the optical axis of the projection optics 12 and the optical axis of a recording optics 22 of a camera 21 of the recording direction outside the optical sensor 1 coincide in accordance with the invention. This corresponds to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention. However, the optical components 14, 15, 16 are to be understood schematically. A real implementation may differ in type, arrangement and number from the schematic arrangement shown here. This can be suitably realized by the skilled person according to his technical knowledge.April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO Advantageously, a light trap 17 is provided in the optical sensor 1 behind the beam splitter 16, which absorbs projection light that is not deflected in the beam splitter 16 to avoid interfering light in the optical sensor 1. In the example described here, the beam splitter 16 is arranged in such a way that the projection beam path 13 of the projection device 10 and a recording beam path 23 of the recording device 20 behind the beam splitter 16, and thus also outside the optical sensor 1, overlap at least to the extent that the projected pattern 18 is recorded by the camera in the measuring range of the optical sensor 1. In Fig. 6, the pattern 18 is only shown schematically as a square, rotated by 90° around the projection surface 19, which is actually perpendicular to the image plane of Fig. 6 in an orthogonal projection. This is for illustrative purposes and does not represent a real projection of the pattern. The dot representation of the pattern 18 is also schematic and does not necessarily correspond to the real design of a pattern 18, for example in the particularly preferred form shown in Fig. 2a. In a preferred application of the optical sensor 1 according to the invention, the projection surface 19 coincides with the surface of a workpiece onto which thepattern is projected to detect the orienting of the surface of a workpiece in thearea around a point of work of the workpiece. For this purpose, the optical sensor 1 is preferably fixed to a tool device 140 with the tool 142 with which the workpiece 170 is to be machined at the point of work 171 of the workpiece 170. The opticalsensor 1 and the tool device 140 are calibrated with respect to one another, sothat a machining point 150 (also referred to as point of application 150) of the tool142 relative to the pattern 18 is known. The machining point or point of application150 of the tool 142 can, for example, be located in the center of the pattern 18, i.e. in the case of a square pattern 18 approximately at the intersection of thepattern diagonals. This machining point 150 is shown schematically in Fig. 6together with the projected pattern 18.April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WOIn a display (not shown) of the recording device 20, such a machining point 150can also be shown to facilitate positioning of the tool device 140 connected to theoptical sensor 1 with the machining point 150 of the tool 142 at the point of work 171 of the workpiece 170. This is particularly useful if the point of work 171 of theworkpiece 170 is optically recognizable by the recording device 20, for exampleas a hole, bore or other marking. In the optical sensor 1 shown in Fig. 6, a control and evaluation device 30 is provided which is at least adapted to control the projection device 10 for projecting the pattern 18 onto the surface of the workpiece 170 in the area around its point of work 171 and to control the recording device for recording an image of the pattern 18 projected onto the surface 172 of the workpiece 170. The control and evaluation device 30 is preferably also adapted to determine the phase slope in the image of the pattern elements as a function of the location along each of one of the lines of pattern elements in at least two different pattern directions, as explained by way of example with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. Inprinciple, this can be done by knowing the phase spacing ^Φ = 1 between twoadjacent pattern elements of a pattern direction ^ or ^, and the spacings ^^ or ^^are each determined based on the image coordinates of the pattern elements in the image of the calibrated recording device 20. Furthermore, the control and evaluation device 30 is preferably also adapted toidentify the orienting of the surface of the workpiece relative to the optical sensorfrom the phase slopes determined, as already explained by way of example with reference to Figs.3 to 5. According to the invention, the control and evaluation device 30 can also beadapted to carry out all or some of the other method steps described above,April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO including positioning the optical sensor 1 and any tool device 140 connected to the optical sensor 1 and controlling a manipulator 110 to position the optical sensor 1 and tool device 140 in space and / or calibrating the optical sensor 1 and tool device 140 to the common (identical) coordinate system as described. It is also possible to outsource parts of the control and / or evaluation to a higher- level control unit 130 of a device 100 according to the invention, which is shown schematically in Fig.7 and comprises the optical sensor 1 and the tool device 140 in addition to the control unit 130. The tool unit 140 and the optical sensor 1 are fixed to each other via an adjustable mechanical connector 101 in such a way thatthe machining point or point of application 150 of the tool 142 is calibrated relativeto the optical sensor 1. In this way, the machining point or point of application 150of the tool 142 can be oriented to the point of work 171 of the workpiece 170 by means of the manipulator 110, as shown in Fig.7. The control and evaluation unit 30 shown in this embodiment example as integrated in the optical sensor 1 and the separate control and evaluation unit 130 are to be understood as a common control and evaluation unit of the device 100, which may be formed as one, two (as shown) or more separate units. In the case of more than one separate unit, the multiple control and evaluation units are in a communication link with each other in order to exchange data. Data can be signals (such as sensor or control signals) or information (such as positions or status data). The communication link can be designed as a computer network. Each of the control and evaluation units 30, 130 provided comprises a computing unit which is adapted by means of program code means for controlling device components and / or evaluating data detected, determined and / or stored in the computing unit, in particular comprising the carrying out of method steps of the method according to the invention described above, possibly in cooperation with correspondingly adapted computing units of other control and evaluation units.April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO Even if this is not shown in Fig.7 for the sake of clarity, the other components of the device 100, including in particular the tool unit 140 and the manipulator 110, can each of them contain their own control and evaluation units, which are part of the computer network and together carry out the control and evaluation according to the invention. Different control and evaluation units can be combined in one housing and / or divided into different housings. Manipulators 110 suitable for the invention are known from the prior art. Theproblem of the invention is not an improvement or further development ofmanipulators. In principle, any manipulator is suitable for the invention and forcarrying out the method according to the invention, which can be suitably selecteddepending on the application. Manipulators generally comprise a plurality of rotational and / or translational actuators 111, with which an object attached to the manipulator can be positioned in space according to the requirements. Typically,the actuators 111 of the manipulator 110 enable any orienting (position andorientation / posture) of the object in a specific spatial area. The actuators 111 areonly schematically indicated here in order to symbolize any orienting capability inspace. In contrast to the preferred embodiment shown here, the optical sensor 1 according to the invention can also be fixed directly to the manipulator in order to identify the orientation of the surface 172 of a workpiece 170 in the area around a point of work 171 of the workpiece. In such a device according to the invention,unlike in the embodiment shown, there is therefore no tool device 140 inmechanical connection with the optical sensor 1. In the example shown, the tool 142 of the tool device 140 is a riveting tool with which the workpiece 170 comprising a first material to be joined 173 and a second material to be joined 174 is to be fixed to one another by means of rivets. The point of work 171 of the workpiece 170 is located on the surface 172 of the firstApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO material to be joined 173 at a common opening in the first and second material173, 174. To set the rivet, the machining point or point of application 150 of thetool 142 calibrated in the optical sensor 1 is positioned by means of themanipulator 110 at the point of work 171 of the workpiece, which point ofapplication is detectable as a hole in the image of the recording device.For proper setting of the rivet in the example shown, it is necessary that the (one) tool axis (along which the rivet is inserted into the common opening of the firstand second materials to be joined 173, 174) of the tool 142 is or will be preciselyoriented orthogonally to the workpiece surface 172. For this purpose, the optical sensor 1 projects the pattern 18, as shown in Fig. 2a, onto the surface 172. Because the optical sensor 1 and the tool device 140 are calibrated with respect to one another, the orientation of the optical axis of the optical sensor 1 relative to the workpiece axis is known. As described, in the optical sensor 1 shown here as a preferred embodiment, the optical axis of the projection device 10 and theoptical axis of the recording device 20 coincide. This optical axis of the opticalsensor intersects the tool axis particularly preferably at the machining point 150 of the tool 142. The machining point is particularly preferably located in the center of the pattern 18. However, the individual features can also be implemented independently of one another in accordance with the invention. Based on the calibration, the control and evaluation unit 30 can determine the distortion of the pattern 18 on the surface 172 for the orientation in which the tool axis is oriented orthogonal to the workpiece surface 172. Accordingly, the actualorienting (position including distance and orientation) of the machining point 150of the tool 142 can be determined from the image of the pattern 18. The deviationof the actual orienting from the desired orienting, which is orthogonal in theexample shown, is corrected by the manipulator 110.April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO According to a preferred variant of the proposed method for orienting the device100 at the point of work 171 of the workpiece 170, a first pre-positioning can becarried out by evaluating the corner points of the pattern 18 in the image relativeto one another. Based on the calibrating the optical sensor 1, the three-dimensional spatial points of the corner points of the pattern 18 can be determinedfrom the image in the evaluation and control unit 30, and the distance and relativeorientation to the surface 172 can be determined from this. This makes it possible to roughly orient the tool device 140 with the optical sensor 1 fixed to it in front ofthe work surface, wherein a possible spacing between the machining point 150 ofthe tool 142 located in the center of the pattern and the point of work 171 of the workpiece 170, which can be detected through the opening in the surface 172, is also corrected. After such pre-positioning (which is basically optional according to the invention), the method according to the invention and already described in detail above iscarried out, wherein the device 100 is precisely oriented in the predefined posturein front of the surface and the point of application or machining point 150 of thetool 142 is positioned precisely at the point of work of the workpiece 172, i.e. the orientation of the device 100 relative to the workpiece surface 172 is carried out at the point of work 171 of the workpiece 170.Thus, a very precise orienting of the device 100 in front of the surface 172 isachieved, and actuation of the tool 142 is possible. According to one aspect of the invention, the control and evaluation unit 30, 130 can enable actuation of the tool 142 only when the device 100 is correctly oriented. The tool 142 is then moved by means of the tool carrier 141 shown schematically in Fig.7 from the rest position shown with solid lines into the machining position shown with dashed lines at the machining point 150, in which the tool 142 acts onthe surface 1 (point of application of the tool). For the riveting tool described, thisApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO means that a rivet is inserted into the opening of the workpiece 170 and set in order to fix the first material to be joined 173 and the second material to be joined 174 to one another. Instead of the riveting tool described here as an example, the tool device 140 can also have any other tools, such as a screwing tool, a riveting tool, an applicatorfor glue or another joining or surface processing tool, which are usable in a joiningor processing method of workpieces. In particular, this also includes drilling tools, grinding or polishing tools, welding tools or the like. The method described for orienting optical sensor 1 and / or tool device 140 is carried out accordingly in the manner described. With reference to Fig. 8, the method for orienting the device 100 at the point ofwork 171 at the surface 172 of the workpiece 170 is described schematically withreference to method steps. Because the content of each of the method steps has already been described in detail and with possible options, reference is made in this respect to the above text. Optional method steps are shown in dashed lines.For an already calibrated device 100, the method for orienting shown in Fig. 8begins in method step 220 with the (in principle also optional) pre-positioning of the device 100 in front of the surface 172 of the workpiece 170 in the area of the point of work 171 of the workpiece 170. The method according to the invention does not necessarily require that the pre-positioning of the device 100 is carriedout at the point of work 171. It is also possible to carry out the entire orienting aspart of the method according to the invention, provided that the optical sensor 1 can detect the workpiece 170. However, the proposed pre-positioning significantly accelerates the orienting. In this case, the method proposed according to the invention is used for fine alignment.April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO If the device 100 has not yet been calibrated, the method according to the invention may optionally also include a calibration 210, which preferablycomprises three calibration steps. A first calibration step 211 comprisescalibrating the recording device 20, a second calibration step 212 comprisescalibrating the projection device 10 and a third calibration step 213 comprisescalibrating the optical sensor 1 with the projection device 10 as well as therecording device 20 and the tool device 140 onto each other. Optionally, theworkpiece 170 can additionally be calibrated to the common (identical) coordinatesystem in a further calibration step 214 to facilitate the output of setting commandsfor orienting the device 100 relative to the workpiece 170 and its points of work 171.After the pre-positioning of the device 100, the orienting of the surface 172 of theworkpiece 170 in the area around the point of work 171 relative to the opticalsensor 1 and thus the tool device 140 is determined in a further method step 230.This method step 230 comprises at least in particular the steps not shownindividually, as already described:- Projecting a pattern 18 onto the surface 172 of the workpiece 170- Imaging of the pattern 18 projected onto the surface 172- Determining a phase slope in the image of the pattern elements- Identifying the orienting of the surface 172 relative to the optical sensor 1 fromthe determined phase slopes and, if appropriate, further steps already described in this context, for example the steps described in claims 2 to 5.In a further method step 240, the device 100 is then positioned and oriented atthe point of work 171 of the workpiece 170. This may have at least the steps 241 to 244 described below:April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO In the step 241, a deviation of the orientation of the surface of the workpiece from an orientation predefined for the use of the tool is determined. In step 242, aspacing between the point of application 150 (machining point) of the tool 142 ofthe tool device 140 and the point of work 171 on the workpiece surface 142 isdetermined. In step 243, a setting command or a plurality of setting commands tothe positioning device (manipulator 110) of the device 100 are determined based on the determined deviation of the orientation and / or based on the determined spacing. In a further method step 244, the setting commands are transmitted to the positioning device 110 and carried out by the positioning device 110. Optionally, in a step 245, the steps 241 to 244 may be carried out repeatedly untilthe desired orientating (position and posture or orientation, respectively) of thedevice 170 relative to the surface 172 of the workpiece is achieved. This can bedone iteratively, if necessary.In a further optional step 246, actuation of the tool 142 may be enabled after thedesired orienting has been achieved. Further optionally, the carrying out of theactuation of the tool 142 can be monitored. After carrying out, the device 100 can then be pre-positioned again at a next point of work 171 (method step 220) untilall points of work 171 on the workpiece 170 have been processed.Using the method described above, orientating of the optical sensor relative tothe surface is determined with a particularly high degree of accuracy from the location-dependent phase slopes of the pattern elements of the pattern projected onto the surface of a workpiece. The device used according to the invention can be used for this purpose, which can also have a tool device in addition to the optical sensor as a sensor device. In a preferred use of the proposed method and device, a method is described for precisely orienting the device in a predefinedorienting (position and orientation) in front of the surface of the workpiece in orderto machine the workpiece accordingly in this orienting by means of the tool device.April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO List of reference numerals1 Optical sensor, also referred to as sensor device10 Projection device11 Projector12 Projection optics13 Projection beam path14 Mirror15 Lens16 Beam splitter17 Light trap18 Pattern19 Projection surface20 Recording device21 Camera22 Recording optics23 Recording beam path30 Control and evaluation device100 Device101 Mechanical connector110 Manipulator as positioning device111 Actuators130 Control and evaluation device140 Tool device141 Adjustable tool carrier142 Tool150 Machining point or point of application of the toolApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO170 Workpiece171 Point of work of the workpiece172 Surface of the workpiece, also referred to as the workpiece surface173 First material to be joined174 Second material to be joined200 Method for orienting a device210 Calibrating the device211 Calibrating the recording device212 Calibrating the projection device213 Calibrating optical sensor and tool device to each other214 Calibrating the workpiece220 Pre-positioning of the device230 Determining the orientation of the surface of the workpiece relative to theoptical sensor240 Positioning and orienting the device at the point of work of the workpiece241 Determining a deviation of the orientation of the surface of the workpiecefrom a predefined orientation for the use of the tool242 Determining a spacing between the point of application of the tool of the tooldevice tool and the point of work on the workpiece surface243 Determining one or more setting commands to the positioning device of thedevice244 Transmitting the setting commands to the positioning device245 Repeating steps 241 to 244 until the desired orienting of the device relative to thesurface is achieved246 Releasing the tool and monitoring carrying outM Pattern elements, in numbering Mi with i = 0, 1, 2, ...x, y Pattern directionsApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO

Claims

- 1 -Claims:

1. Method for determining the orienting of a surface (172) of a workpiece (170)in an area around a point of work (171) of the workpiece (170) by means of acalibrated optical sensor (1) with a projection device (10) and a recording device(20), comprising the method steps:Projecting a pattern (18) onto the surface (172) of the workpiece (170) in the area around the point of work (171), wherein the pattern (18) comprises at least one line of periodically arranged pattern elements (M) in each of at least two different pattern directions (x, y); Imaging the pattern (18) projected onto the surface (172) by means of therecording device (20); characterized by the method steps: Determining a phase slope (^^⁄ ^^ ) in the image of the pattern elementsas a function of the location along each of one of the lines of pattern elements in the at least two different pattern directions (x, y); Identifying the orienting of the surface (172) relative to the optical sensor(1) from the determined phase slopes (^^⁄ ^^ ).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that projecting of the pattern(18) is carried out by a telecentric optics (12) of the optical sensor (1) and imagingof the pattern (18) is carried out by an entocentric optics (22) of the optical sensor(1), or in that projecting of the pattern (18) is carried out by an entocentric opticsof the optical sensor (1) and imaging of (18) is carried out by a telecentric opticsof the optical sensor (1).April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO- 2 -3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the recordingdevice (20) and the projection device (10) of the optical sensor (1) use the same optical axis.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in thatthe length of the pattern (18) is detected in the at least two pattern directions (x,y) and a preliminary orienting of the surface (172) of the workpiece (170) isidentified therefrom.

5. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that the preliminaryorienting of the surface (172) of the workpiece (170) is used as a starting point fordetermining the orienting of the surface (172) of the workpiece (170) from thedetermined course of the phase slope (^^⁄ ^^ ).

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in thatthe determining of the phase slope (^^⁄ ^^ ) in the image of the pattern elements(M) is carried out by means of a Moiré beating of the periodically arranged pattern elements (M) in the image.

7. Device for determining the orienting of a surface (172) of a workpiece (170)in an area around a point of work (171) of the workpiece (170), the devicecomprising an optical sensor (1) with a projection device (10) and with a recordingdevice (20), a positioning device (110) and a control and evaluation device (30,130), wherein the projection device (10) of the optical sensor (1) comprises a projector (11) for outputting a pattern (18) and a projection optics (13),April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO- 3 -the recording device (20) of the optical sensor (2) comprises a camera (21)for imaging the pattern (18) and an imaging optics (23),the positioning device (110) comprises a controllable manipulator whichcarries out positioning of the optical sensor (1) in space relative to the workpiece(170), the projection device (10), the recording device (20) and the positioning device (110) are calibrated with respect to one another in an identical coordinate system, the control and evaluation device (30, 130) comprises a computing unit with a processor, the processor of the computing unit being adapted by program code means to carry out the method steps defined in one of the claims 1 to 6.

8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the optical axis of theprojection device (10) and the optical axis of the recording device (20) coincide spatially.

9. Device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the pattern (18)projected by the projection device (10) comprises a line of periodically arrangedpattern elements (M) in each of at least two different pattern directions (x, y).

10. Device according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the device(100) comprises a tool device (140), wherein the tool device (140) is fixedly attached to the optical sensor (1) and is calibrated to the identical coordinate system.

11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that the tool device(140) is a screwing tool, a riveting tool, an applicator for glue or another joining orApril 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO- 4 -surface processing tool which is usable in a joining or processing method of workpieces (170, 171, 172).

12. Method for orienting a device (100) according to one of claims 10 or 11 atthe point of work (171) at the surface (172) of the workpiece (170) to be machinedwith the tool device (140) of the device (100), wherein the following steps are carried out: Pre-positioning of the device (100) in front of the surface (172) of theworkpiece (170) in the area around the point of work (171) on the surface (172),Carrying out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 fordetermining the orienting of the surface (172) of the workpiece (170),Positioning of the device (100) with a point of application (150) of the tool(142) at the point of work (171) of the workpiece (170) and orienting the device(100) in a predetermined posture relative to the workpiece surface (172) for useof the tool (142), wherein the control and evaluation device (30, 130) of the device(100) is adapted todetermining, in the identical coordinate system from the image of the pattern (18) projected onto the workpiece surface (172), a deviation of the orientation of the surface (172) of the workpiece (170) from the predefinedposture of the device (100) relative to the workpiece surface (172) for theuse of the tool (142), determining a spacing between the point of application (150) of thetool (142) of the tool device (140) and the point of work (171) on the workpiece surface (172),April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO- 5 -determining a setting command or a plurality of setting commandsto the positioning device (110) of the device (100) based on the determined deviation of the orientation and / or based on the determined spacing, and transmitting the setting command or setting commands to thepositioning device (110) of the device (100) for carrying out the positioning movement.

13. Method according to claim 12, characterized in that orienting of the device(100) is carried out iteratively, by after carrying out the setting command or settingcommands for correcting the spacing and orientation, again determining theorienting of the workpiece surface (172) at the point of work of the workpiece andrepeatedly carrying out the orienting, until the spacing between the point ofapplication (150) of the tool (142) of the tool device (140) and the point of work(171) on the workpiece surface (172) is less than a predefined limit value and until a deviation of the orientation of the workpiece surface (172) relative to the predefined orientation of the device (100) relative to the workpiece surface (172)is less than a predefined limit value.

14. Method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that a spacingbetween the point of application (150) of the tool (142) of the tool device (140)and the point of work (171) on the workpiece surface (172) is determined, a settingcommand is determined from the spacing and the setting command is carried outbefore a deviation of the orientation of the workpiece surface (172) of the workpiece (170) from the predefined orientation of the device (100) relative to the workpiece surface (172) is determined.

15. Method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that atool actuation is released after orienting of the device (100).April 4, 2025 I 48 P 143 WO

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