at least one projector for illuminating the object with at least one illumination pattern, wherein the illumination pattern comprises a plurality of illumination features, wherein the illumination features are spatially modulated such that the illumination features are patterned illumination features;

at least one sensor element having a matrix of optical sensors, the optical sensors each having a light-sensitive area, wherein each optical sensor is designed to generate at least one sensor signal in response to an illumination of its respective light-sensitive area by a reflection light beam propagating from the object to the detector, wherein the sensor element is configured to determine at least one reflection image;

at least one evaluation device, wherein the evaluation device is configured to select at least one reflection feature of the reflection image, wherein the reflection feature is a feature in an image plane generated by the object in response to illumination by at least one illumination feature, wherein the evaluation device is configured for determining at least one longitudinal coordinate z of the selected reflection feature of the reflection image by using a depth-from-photon-ratio technique by evaluating a combined signal Q from the sensor signals, wherein the combined signal Q is a signal which is generated by combining the sensor signals, wherein the evaluation device is configured for deriving the combined signal Q by one or more of dividing the sensor signals, dividing multiples of the sensor signals, dividing linear combinations of the sensor signals, wherein the evaluation device is configured for using at least one predetermined relationship between the combined signal Q and the longitudinal region for determining the longitudinal region,

wherein each of the patterned illumination features comprises a plurality of sub-features, and wherein the illumination features are arranged in a periodic pattern equidistant in rows, wherein each of the rows of illumination features have an offset in the same direction, wherein the offset of neighboring rows differ, wherein the offset δ is

 wherein a and b are integer numbers such that the illumination pattern is a periodic pattern,

wherein the evaluation device is configured for determining information about a distance between the object and the projector by analyzing the patterned reflection features of the reflection image wherein the evaluation device is configured for finding and segmenting each patterned reflection feature, wherein the evaluation device is configured for determining a center of each of the sub-features, wherein the evaluation device is configured for determining distances between the centers of the sub-features, wherein the evaluation device is configured for determining the information about the distance between the object and the projector from the distances between the centers of the sub-features by using a pre-determined relationship, and

wherein the evaluation device is configured for edge detection, wherein the plurality of sub-features comprises at least three sub-features, wherein the evaluation device is configured for determining for each of the sub-features a longitudinal coordinate of the object by evaluating a combined signal Q from the sensor signals of the respective sub-feature, wherein the evaluation device is configured for determining normal and local orientation of a reflecting surface of the object from the longitudinal coordinates determined from the sub-features.