Computer-implemented method for identification of characteristic points of a calibration pattern within a set of candidate points derived from an image of the calibration pattern, the method comprising the steps of: A. scaling a template arrangement which corresponds to the calibration pattern or to a sub-pattern (15, 15') of the calibration pattern to an initial size, wherein the template arrangement comprises several template points one of which is a principal point of the template arrangement; B. using the scaled template arrangement for determining potential characteristic points by - for each candidate point: (i) overlaying the scaled template arrangement over the candidate point such that the principal point of the scaled template arrangement coincides with the candidate point, (ii) for each template point of the overlaid scaled template arrangement, except the principal point, identifying from the set of candidate points the candidate point closest to the template point, and (iii) determining a degree of deviation by summing or averaging the distances between each template point of the overlaid scaled template arrangement, except the principal point, and the candidate point closest to this template point; and - identifying as potential characteristic points all those candidate points of the set of candidate points which have a degree of deviation below a deviation threshold; and C. determining whether the potential characteristic points meet a termination criterion and - if the termination criterion is not met: modifying the scaling of the template arrangement and repeating steps B and C with the modified scaled template arrangement, and - otherwise: identifying the potential characteristic points identified in the last iteration of step B as the characteristic points of the calibration pattern, wherein in step C the scaling of the template arrangement is modified by adjusting the size of the template arrangement by a current step size whose sign and magnitude depend on the number of potential characteristic points identified in step B and/or on a quality index derived from the potential characteristic points identified in step B. A. scaling a template arrangement which corresponds to the calibration pattern or to a sub-pattern (15, 15') of the calibration pattern to an initial size, wherein the template arrangement comprises several template points one of which is a principal point of the template arrangement; B. using the scaled template arrangement for determining potential characteristic points by - for each candidate point: (i) overlaying the scaled template arrangement over the candidate point such that the principal point of the scaled template arrangement coincides with the candidate point, (ii) for each template point of the overlaid scaled template arrangement, except the principal point, identifying from the set of candidate points the candidate point closest to the template point, and (iii) determining a degree of deviation by summing or averaging the distances between each template point of the overlaid scaled template arrangement, except the principal point, and the candidate point closest to this template point; and - identifying as potential characteristic points all those candidate points of the set of candidate points which have a degree of deviation below a deviation threshold; and - for each candidate point: (i) overlaying the scaled template arrangement over the candidate point such that the principal point of the scaled template arrangement coincides with the candidate point, (ii) for each template point of the overlaid scaled template arrangement, except the principal point, identifying from the set of candidate points the candidate point closest to the template point, and (iii) determining a degree of deviation by summing or averaging the distances between each template point of the overlaid scaled template arrangement, except the principal point, and the candidate point closest to this template point; and (i) overlaying the scaled template arrangement over the candidate point such that the principal point of the scaled template arrangement coincides with the candidate point, (ii) for each template point of the overlaid scaled template arrangement, except the principal point, identifying from the set of candidate points the candidate point closest to the template point, and (iii) determining a degree of deviation by summing or averaging the distances between each template point of the overlaid scaled template arrangement, except the principal point, and the candidate point closest to this template point; and - identifying as potential characteristic points all those candidate points of the set of candidate points which have a degree of deviation below a deviation threshold; and C. determining whether the potential characteristic points meet a termination criterion and - if the termination criterion is not met: modifying the scaling of the template arrangement and repeating steps B and C with the modified scaled template arrangement, and - otherwise: identifying the potential characteristic points identified in the last iteration of step B as the characteristic points of the calibration pattern, - if the termination criterion is not met: modifying the scaling of the template arrangement and repeating steps B and C with the modified scaled template arrangement, and - otherwise: identifying the potential characteristic points identified in the last iteration of step B as the characteristic points of the calibration pattern,