Patent ID: 8392089

Claim:
A method of estimating an available grip margin of a tire of a vehicle rolling on a ground, a tread pattern block of the tire being equipped with one or more sensors each for measuring a characteristic quantity of stresses experienced locally by the tread pattern block when the tire is rolling on the ground, the method comprising steps of: estimating a quantity R slip ca corresponding to a ratio of a slip contact area and a total contact area of the tire on the ground by: measuring the characteristic quantity when the tire is rolling on the ground, generating a signal corresponding to measurements made of the characteristic quantity, extracting, using a signal processor, from the generated signal a portion (S) relating to the one or more sensors passing into the contact area of the tire on the ground and determining a total length of the contact area L ca , determining information characterizing an onset of local slip of the tread pattern block from the extracted portion of the signal, determining a local slip length L slip ca of the tread pattern block, and calculating the quantity R slip ca such that R slip ca =L slip ca /L ca ; determining, in a signal processor, at least one of: a grip potential used P μ,used and an available grip margin of the tire P μ, avail from the quantity and pre-established data corresponding to a type of the tire, where P μ,avail =1−P μ,used ; and recording in a memory at least one of: the grip potential used and the available grip margin of the tire.