Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for pattern recognition in a signal corresponding for example to the steering angle of a vehicle for testing tires. The method comprises three major steps, namely step a) consisting in identifying phases in the signal by detecting phase changes; step b) consisting in classifying at least some of the identified phases based on their shapes and step c) consisting in detecting the presence of predetermined patterns in the signal where each predetermined pattern corresponds to a specific sequence of classes of phases. The phase changes are determined by extrema of the signal and its first derivative. The classification of the phase is made by means of parameters of the phases, namely the length dL, the amplitude dH, and a form factor S. The definition of the different classes is adjusted in a parameter space by means of manual recognition of maneuvers.