Method and system for estimating the load acting on a tire

A method of operating a vehicle comprising a tire, the method comprising:

• rotating the tire on a rolling surface to cause deformation of the tire on the rolling surface;
• detecting, with a monitoring device fixed to a crown portion of the tire, data representative of the deformation undergone by the tire on the rolling surface;
• receiving the detected data at one or more processing units included within at least one of the monitoring device or an electronic device located on board the vehicle;
• analyzing, with the one or more processing units, the detected data in order to obtain a first quantity determined as one of a first angular extent of a first deformation region of the tire, or a length of a cord subtended by said first angular extent, or a length of an arc subtended by said first angular extent, wherein the first deformation region corresponds to a footprint between the tire and the rolling surface, and a second quantity determined as one of a second angular extent of a second deformation region of the tire, or a length of a cord subtended by said second angular extent, or a length of an arc subtended by said second angular extent, wherein said second deformation region comprises the first deformation region and the second angular extent is greater than the first angular extent, the second quantity obtained starting from at least a part of the detected data, which corresponds to a portion of said second deformation region which is external to the footprint;
• and
• determining, with the one or more processing units, a load acting on the tire on the basis of the first quantity and the second quantity thus obtained.