Direct address laser ablation

1. A method for reducing one or more harmonics of at least one uniformity parameter in a tire, comprising:

receiving a plurality of ablation patterns for a bead of a tire, each ablation pattern associated with a different track location on the bead of the tire in a bead seat, low flange zone and high flange zone, each ablation pattern defining a desired ablation depth relative to an angular location around the bead and calculated to correct for one or more harmonics of at least one uniformity parameter for the tire;

identifying a plurality of addresses for the bead, each address being associated with a specific angular location on the bead of the tire;

analyzing each ablation pattern to determine a plurality of direct address commands to achieve the plurality of ablation patterns, the plurality of direct address commands specifying ablation parameters for a plurality of discrete ablation segments at one or more of the plurality of addresses along the bead of the tire, the discrete ablation segments arranged in a plurality of discrete layers;

controlling the ablation device to selectively remove tire material from the bead in discrete ablation segments pursuant to the direct address commands to achieve the plurality of ablation patterns;

wherein the tire material is selectively removed to achieve the plurality of ablation patterns using a single pass of the ablation device around the bead.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each discrete ablation segment is associated with an ablation segment depth.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the ablation segment depth of the plurality of discrete ablation segments is associated with about full operating power of the ablation device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the plurality of ablation patterns to determine a plurality of direct address commands comprises:

assigning a discrete ablation segment to an address based at least in part on ablation sensitivity characteristics associated with the ablation segment; and

generating a direct address command for each discrete ablation segment assigned to an address.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the plurality of ablation patterns to determine a plurality of direct address commands comprises:

assigning one or more discrete ablation segments to at least one of the plurality of addresses in a first ablation segment layer based at least in part on an ablation segment depth associated with the discrete ablation segments;

subtracting the ablation segment depth of the discrete ablation segments in the first layer from the desired ablation depth at each address to achieve an adjusted ablation depth for each address; and

assigning discrete ablation segments to at least one of the plurality of addresses in a second ablation segment layer based at least in part on the adjusted ablation depth.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the angular locations associated with the addresses of the discrete ablation segments in the first layer are shifted relative to the angular locations associated with the addresses of the discrete ablation segments in the second layer.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the discrete ablation segments are arranged in at least four ablation segment layers to achieve the ablation pattern.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the method comprises adjusting the ablation sensitivity characteristics of the discrete ablation segments such that at least four ablation segment layers are required to achieve the ablation pattern.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein each direct address command specifies a laser power, laser scan rate, bitmap or a radial location on the bead for an ablation segment.