1. A method for determining the orientation of a bobbin tube ( 1 ) of the type for cross-winding of a textile yarn thereon, wherein the bobbin tube has one end face ( 27 ) at a yarn withdrawal end of the tube configured as a tube tip ( 2 ) with a beaded edge ( 4 ) and has another end face ( 27 ) at the opposite end of the tube configured as a tube foot ( 3 ) without a beaded edge ( 4 ), the method characterized by the steps of arranging the cross-wound bobbin tube ( 1 ) opposite an image detection mechanism, detecting a digital image of one end face ( 27 ) of the cross-wound bobbin tube ( 1 ), subjecting the digital image to an edge detection in order to determine object edges ( 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ) of the cross-wound bobbin tube ( 1 ), determining a recognition parameter which is dependent on a width (b 1 , b 2 ) of a circular ring ( 10 , 11 ) formed by the object edges ( 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ), comparing the recognition parameter thusly determined with a reference value which is dependent on the tube parameters, and drawing a conclusion about the orientation of the cross-wound bobbin tube ( 1 ) depending on the result of the comparison.