Model-based longitudinal stiffness estimation system and method

1. A tire-based system for estimating longitudinal stiffness between a tire and a road surface comprising:

at least one tire mounted to a wheel hub and supporting a vehicle;

load measurement means for determining a load level on the one tire;

wear estimation means for estimating a wear state of the one tire;

tire-based sensor input means for measuring tire-based input parameters;

longitudinal stiffness adaptation model means for deriving a longitudinal stiffness estimation scaled by the load level, the tire-based sensor input parameters, and the wear state.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tire-based sensor input parameters are at least one input from the group:

a measured air cavity pressure of the one tire;

tire-specific construction characteristics of the one tire;

a measured temperature of the one tire.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the longitudinal stiffness adaptation model means algorithmically calculates the longitudinal stiffness estimation from inputs including the load level, the measured air cavity pressure of the one tire and the measured temperature of the one tire compensated by a wear state estimation of the one tire.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the load level, measured air cavity pressure of the one tire and the measured temperature of the one tire comprise compensating scaling factors within the longitudinal stiffness adaptation model.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wear estimation means operably generates the wear state estimation for the one tire from a vehicle-measured acceleration of the wheel hub supporting the one tire.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the wear estimation means operably generates the wear state estimation from a vertical acceleration of the wheel hub supporting the one tire.

7. A tire-based method for estimating longitudinal stiffness between a tire and a road surface comprising:

measuring a load level on at least one tire mounted to a wheel hub and supporting a vehicle;

estimating a wear state of the one tire;

measuring at least one tire-based sensor-derived compensating input parameter;

calculating a longitudinal stiffness estimation scaled by the load level, the at least one tire-based input, and the one tire wear state.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one tire-based sensor-derived input parameter is from the group:

a measured air cavity pressure of the one tire;

tire-specific construction characteristics of the one tire;

a measured temperature of the one tire.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of calculating a longitudinal stiffness estimation includes algorithmically calculating the longitudinal stiffness estimation from a plurality of input parameters including the load level, the measured air cavity pressure of the one tire and the measured temperature of the one tire compensated by a wear state estimation of the one tire.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the load level, measured air cavity pressure of the one tire, and the measured temperature of the one tire comprise compensating scaling factors within the step of calculating a longitudinal stiffness estimation.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of estimating a wear state of the one tire includes generating the wear state estimation for the one tire from a vehicle-measured acceleration of a hub supporting the one tire.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of estimating a wear state of the one tire includes operably generating the wear state estimation from a vertical acceleration of the wheel hub supporting the one tire.