Patent ID: 8862755

Claim:
An apparatus for modifying a command message, said apparatus comprising: at least one control device comprising a processor and a memory, wherein said processor processes an XFN (cross-fire network) stack and communicates with said memory, wherein said apparatus receives said command message from a source device, wherein said command message is used to control a target device parameter of a target device within a digital multimedia network, wherein said digital multimedia network employs a control protocol, said control protocol having a fixed hierarchical message structure, wherein said control protocol comprises a hierarchical command-and-control protocol, comprising an XFN protocol, wherein said fixed hierarchical message models a groupings of a plurality of device parameters found in a plurality of entertainment apparatuses, wherein said XFN protocol is an IP-based peer-to-peer network protocol which enables apparatuses within a network to send and/or receive connection management, control and monitoring command messages, wherein a hierarchical parameter address contained in said command message is changed according to at least one change script to provide a modified command message, wherein said hierarchical parameter address comprising: parameter grouping identifiers each corresponding to a hierarchy level of a predetermined tree-structured parameter hierarchy used for addressing device parameters throughout said digital multimedia network, wherein said change script is stored in the memory of said control device, and wherein said change according to at least one change script comprising: receiving said hierarchical parameter address in said command message which is processed according to said change script to calculate a modified hierarchical parameter address used to update a second hierarchical parameter address of a output value parameter of said modified command message which is to be sent to said target device, wherein said apparatus transmits said modified hierarchical parameter address within said modified command message to said target device.