Method for determining the course and/or position of an outer surface of an aircraft relative to an access or feed device, and an access or feed device that can be operated using such a method

A method for determining a position of an outer surface of a floating transport or a flying transport relative to an access or supply device, wherein a measuring device is arranged on the access or supply device, the measuring device comprising:

• a transmitting unit configured to emit electromagnetic and/or mechanical waves,
• a receiving unit configured to receive a reflected part of the emitted waves (λ1), and
• a control unit configured to control and/or regulate the measuring device,
• wherein the method comprises:
• defining, the control unit, a measuring region in which the outer surface is expected to be located or which the outer surface is expected to pass through,
• defining, by the control unit, at least one reference segment which is located in the measuring region or passes through the measuring region,
• emitting the waves by the transmitting unit in such a manner that the waves capture the measuring region,
• receiving the reflected part of the emitted waves by the receiving unit,
• generating, by the control unit, a point cloud that maps a profile of the outer surface using the received reflected part of the emitted waves,
• determining, by the control unit, at least one intersection point where the point cloud and the at least one reference segment intersect, and determining a position of the at least one intersection point.