Method for detecting objects in the surroundings of a vehicle, comprising the steps of: determining at least one reflection pattern (R i,j (d,α), R i,j (p 1,...,p n)) for at least one object class (G, K), a reflection pattern for an imaging geometry of a pulse echo measurement assigning to each parameter value tuple ((d,α), (p 1,..., p n)), which characterizes an object of the object class (G, K) in the surroundings, an expected echo time (τ(d,α), τ(p 1,..., p n)) at which an echo pulse is expected in an echo signal when only the corresponding object characterized by the parameter value tuple ((d,α), (p 1,...,p n)) is present in the surroundings, executing pulse echo measurements for m different transmitter/receiver geometries, and detecting echo signals (e i (t), 0 ≤ i ≤ m) for said pulse echo measurements; and calculating weights for the different objects (g m, k m), characterized by the parameter value tuples ((d,α), (p 1,...,p n)), of the corresponding class (G, K), in that with the aid of the echo signal value (e i (t)) for that instant, or with the aid of the echo signal values (e i (t)) for those instants, which correspond(s), to the expected echo time (τ i (d,α), τ i (p1,..., p n)) or which correspond(s) to the expected echo times (τ i (d,α), τ i (p 1,...,p n)) which is or are assigned to the parameter value tuple ((d,α), (p 1,...,p n)) with the aid of the reflection pattern (R i (d,α), R i (p 1,..., p n)) associated with the echo signal (e i (t)), are determined for each echo signal (e i) one or more weight values (g i (τ i (d,α)), g i (τ i (p 1,...,p n))), and the weight values (g i (τ i (d,α)), g i (τ i (p 1,..., p n))) thus determined are summed to form the weight (W (d,α) = ∑ 1≤i≤m g i (τ i (d,α))), W (p 1,..., p n) = ∑ 1≤i≤m g i (τ i (p 1,..., p n))), and the presence of objects of the at least one object class (G, K) is determined with the aid of the weights (W (d,α), W (p 1,..., p n)) thus determined. determining at least one reflection pattern (R i,j (d,α), R i,j (p 1,...,p n)) for at least one object class (G, K), a reflection pattern for an imaging geometry of a pulse echo measurement assigning to each parameter value tuple ((d,α), (p 1,..., p n)), which characterizes an object of the object class (G, K) in the surroundings, an expected echo time (τ(d,α), τ(p 1,..., p n)) at which an echo pulse is expected in an echo signal when only the corresponding object characterized by the parameter value tuple ((d,α), (p 1,...,p n)) is present in the surroundings, executing pulse echo measurements for m different transmitter/receiver geometries, and detecting echo signals (e i (t), 0 ≤ i ≤ m) for said pulse echo measurements; and calculating weights for the different objects (g m, k m), characterized by the parameter value tuples ((d,α), (p 1,...,p n)), of the corresponding class (G, K), in that with the aid of the echo signal value (e i (t)) for that instant, or with the aid of the echo signal values (e i (t)) for those instants, which correspond(s), to the expected echo time (τ i (d,α), τ i (p1,..., p n)) or which correspond(s) to the expected echo times (τ i (d,α), τ i (p 1,...,p n)) which is or are assigned to the parameter value tuple ((d,α), (p 1,...,p n)) with the aid of the reflection pattern (R i (d,α), R i (p 1,..., p n)) associated with the echo signal (e i (t)), are determined for each echo signal (e i) one or more weight values (g i (τ i (d,α)), g i (τ i (p 1,...,p n))), and the weight values (g i (τ i (d,α)), g i (τ i (p 1,..., p n))) thus determined are summed to form the weight (W (d,α) = ∑ 1≤i≤m g i (τ i (d,α))), W (p 1,..., p n) = ∑ 1≤i≤m g i (τ i (p 1,..., p n))), and the presence of objects of the at least one object class (G, K) is determined with the aid of the weights (W (d,α), W (p 1,..., p n)) thus determined.