Systems and methods for video-rich navigation

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed that provide a user with efficient video-rich navigation (VRN) of media assets in an interactive media guidance application, such as an interactive program guide. A user can select a displayed video asset and perform an action on the selectable video asset, for example, using a remote control. The manner in which the video assets are displayed and the actions enabled for the particular video assets are defined by screen data transmitted to the user equipment in a VRN data feed.

1 - 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A method for providing a video-rich navigation interface, comprising:
 receiving, with a client, a video feed comprising video data for a plurality of video assets and screen data associated with the video feed;   receiving, with the client, a template defining a layout for a first interactive display, wherein the template includes placeholders, instead of videos of the plurality of video assets from the received video feed, for video content;   populating the template by resolving the placeholders with the videos of the plurality of video assets from the received video feed, wherein the placeholders are resolved based on the screen data; and   generating for display the first interactive display, wherein the first interactive display is defined by the template and populated with the videos of the plurality of video assets from the received video feed.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the placeholders are for visual elements of the first interactive display, and each video asset in the first interactive display is located in a position in the first interactive display that corresponds to one of the placeholders. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the placeholders in the template are resolved with selectable and non-selectable items based on the screen data. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the screen data includes asset identifiers, and populating the template comprises retrieving visual elements corresponding to the asset identifiers. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the template is associated with a template identifier, and receiving the template comprises retrieving the template from memory using the template identifier. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the template identifier is specified in the screen data associated with the video feed. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein receiving the template comprises one of receiving the template in a video-rich navigation data feed, downloading the template from a distribution facility, accessing a template embedded as part of a video-rich navigation client, receiving the template in a feed of interactive program guide data, and retrieving the template from local memory at the client. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the template defines a home page interactive display. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the home page is a default display generated when video-rich navigation is initiated. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising:
 receiving a user selection of a displayed element in the first interactive display; and   generating for display a second interactive display based on the user selection.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the second interactive display is generated from a second template. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the second template is associated with a second template identifier, and the screen data relates the second template identifier with the selected displayed element in the first interactive display. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein generating for display the first interactive display comprises generating for display a highlight on a default selectable element in the first interactive display, wherein the default selectable element is defined by the template. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the template defines at least one of a location, appearance, size, shape, or navigation behavior for an element in the first interactive display. 
     
     
         44 . A system for providing a video-rich navigation interface, the system comprising control circuitry configured to:
 receive a video feed comprising video data for a plurality of video assets and screen data associated with the video feed;   receive a template defining a layout for a first interactive display, wherein the template includes placeholders, instead of videos of the plurality of video assets from the received video feed, for video content;   populate the template by resolving the placeholders with the videos of the plurality of video assets from the received video feed, wherein the placeholders are resolved based on the screen data; and   generate for display the first interactive display, wherein the first interactive display is defined by the template and populated with the videos of the plurality of video assets from the received video feed.   
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein the placeholders are for visual elements of the first interactive display, and each video asset in the first interactive display is located in a position in the first interactive display that corresponds to one of the placeholders. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein the placeholders in the template are resolved with selectable and non-selectable items based on the screen data. 
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein the screen data includes asset identifiers, and populating the template comprises retrieving visual elements corresponding to the asset identifiers. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein the template is associated with a template identifier, and receiving the template comprises retrieving the template from memory using the template identifier. 
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 48 , wherein the template identifier is specified in the screen data associated with the video feed. 
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein receiving the template comprises one of receiving the template in a video-rich navigation data feed, downloading the template from a distribution facility, accessing a template embedded as part of a video-rich navigation client, receiving the template in a feed of interactive program guide data, and retrieving the template from local memory at the client. 
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein the template defines a home page interactive display. 
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein the home page is a default display generated when video-rich navigation is initiated. 
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 receive a user selection of a displayed element in the first interactive display; and   generate for display a second interactive display based on the user selection.   
     
     
         54 . The system of  claim 53 , wherein the second interactive display is generated from a second template. 
     
     
         55 . The system of  claim 54 , wherein the second template is associated with a second template identifier, and the screen data relates the second template identifier with the selected displayed element in the first interactive display. 
     
     
         56 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein generating for display the first interactive display comprises generating for display a highlight on a default selectable element in the first interactive display, wherein the default selectable element is defined by the template. 
     
     
         57 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein the template defines at least one of a location, appearance, size, shape, or navigation behavior for an element in the first interactive display.