Apparatus and method for addressing control in a network for distributed data

In a content data distribution network, a system for directing control instructions to selected ones of a plurality of receivers, said system comprising:

• a stored value, said stored value being stored in a memory location reserved for a local parameter in at least one of said plurality of receivers;
• a transmitted value, said transmitted value being distributed over said content data distribution network to said plurality of receivers;
• a function, said stored value being entered into said function to produce a result;
• and
• a comparison operator, said comparison operator comparing said result and said transmitted value such that a True value corresponds to said selected ones of said plurality of receivers.

A method of executing instructions in a selected one of a plurality of receivers in a content data distribution network comprising:

• storing a stored local parameter value in a memory location in said at least one of said plurality of receivers;
• receiving a transmitted local parameter value in said at least one of said plurality of receivers;
• and
• comparing said stored local parameter value to said transmitted local parameter value according to a difference operator.

An apparatus for receiving content data distributed over a network and for processing said content data according to at least one control instruction, said apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving a data transport stream;
• a memory having multiple locations, said locations each containing a stored value;
• and
• a compare processor in operative communication with said memory and in operative communication with said data transport stream receiving means, said compare processor being configured to access one of said locations in said memory according to a location indicator in said data transport stream and being configured to compare said stored value to a transmitted value according to a difference operator in said data transport stream, said transmitted value being in said data transport stream;
• whereby, said control instruction is further processed for use when said comparison is true.

In a content data distribution network, a system for directing control instructions to selected ones of a plurality of receivers, said system comprising:

• at least one local parameter, said parameter being variable among at least two of said plurality of receivers;
• a memory location corresponding to said local parameter in at least one of said plurality of receivers;
• at least one stored value, said stored value quantifying said at least one of local parameter for said plurality of receivers, said stored value being stored in said memory location;
• a function, said function modifying said at least one stored value to produce a result;
• a transmitted value, said transmitted value being transmitted over said content data distribution network, and said transmitted value being associated in said transmission with one of said local parameters;
• and
• a difference operator, said difference operator comparing said result to said transmitted value;
• whereby said control instructions are directed to said selected ones of said plurality of receivers according to said comparison of said difference operator.