Patent ID: 8855008

Claim:
A digital multimedia network with a parameter join mechanism to join device parameters in a parameter group, said network comprising at least one apparatus having a memory for storing at least one parameter group list, wherein: each device parameter of the apparatus holds a parameter group list of other device parameters on the same or different apparatuses to which it is joined; a requesting device parameter of a source apparatus updates its local parameter group list by adding an entry for each device parameter of a target apparatus which joins said parameter group; a request to update a device parameter transmitted by said requesting device parameter as a result of a parameter join mechanism comprises a different command qualifier than a conventional device parameter update; said parameter group is a bidirectional parameter group a change in any device parameter of said parameter group triggers a corresponding change of all other device parameters of said bidirectional parameter group; and a requesting device parameter of a source apparatus sends a command for generating a bidirectional group relationship with other device parameters of said digital multimedia network, a get parameter group list command message to at least one device parameter of a target apparatus, to receive a response message containing a parameter group list stored in said target apparatus, which is added to the local parameter group list to form an updated local parameter group list of said source apparatus, which also comprises said requesting device parameter.