Device, system and method for image-based content delivery

Abstract

Media content is provided using thumbnail-based images and respective archives linked thereto. In accordance with one or more embodiments, access is provided to interactive single-page and multi-page thumbnail images, with each thumbnail image being linked to at least one of a plurality of media-content units in respective sets of the media-content units (e.g., to pages within respective articles each having one or more pages, with each page having predefined text and image data in a set layout). Archive data is identified and communicated for each media content unit, responsive to user input data indicating a selection of one of the thumbnail images, and based on availability of the archive data locally at a user device.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a first circuit-based module configured and arranged to provide access to interactive thumbnail images, each thumbnail image being linked to at least one of a plurality of media-content data groups in respective sets of the media-content data groups, by
 providing a single-page thumbnail image for each media-content data group including a single image-based media content page to be displayed at a remote media access device, the single-page thumbnail image including image data that is based upon an image displayed on the single image-based media content page, and 
 providing a multi-page thumbnail image for each media-content data group including at least two image-based media content pages to be displayed at the remote media access device, the multi-page thumbnail image including image data that is based on an image displayed on at least two of the at least two image-based media content pages, the single-page and multi-page thumbnail images being of the same display size; and 
   a second circuit-based module configured and arranged to identify and communicate archive data for each media content data group by, in response to user input data provided at the remote media access device, the user input data and indicating a selection of one of the thumbnail images,
 identifying archive data designated to a media content data group for which the selected thumbnail image is provided, the identified archive data including at least one of images and text for each media content page in the data group, 
 communicating the identified archive data to the remote media access device, in response to the identified archive data including archive data that is not stored in the remote media access device, and provide the identified archive data for access by a user at the remote media access device. 
   
     
     
         2 . A method comprising:
 at a server providing access to interactive thumbnail images each thumbnail image being linked to at least one of a plurality of media-content data groups in respective sets of the media-content data groups, by
 providing a single-page thumbnail image for each media-content data group including a single image-based media content page to be displayed at a remote media access device which includes a display, the single-page thumbnail image including image data that is based upon an image displayed on the single image-based media content page, and 
 providing a multi-page thumbnail image for each media-content data group including at least two image-based media content pages to be displayed at the remote media access device, the multi-page thumbnail image including image data that is based on an image displayed on at least two of the at least two image-based media content pages, the single-page and multi-page thumbnail images being of the same display size; and 
   also at the server, identifying and communicating archive data for each media content data group by, in response to user input data provided at the remote media access device, the user input data and indicating a selection of one of the thumbnail images,
 identifying archive data designated to a media content data group—for which the selected thumbnail image is provided, the identified archive data including at least one of images and text for each media content page in the data group, 
 communicating the identified archive data to the remote media access device, in response to the identified archive data including archive data that is not stored in the remote media access device, and provide the identified archive data for access by a user at the remote media access device. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the server provides the single-page thumbnail image by generating the single-page thumbnail image using image data displayed on the single page, and provides the multi-page thumbnail image by generating the multi-page thumbnail image using image data displayed on at least two of the at least two pages. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the server provides the single-page and multi-page thumbnail images by communicating and concurrently displaying the images on a display at the remote media access device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the server provides the single-page and multi-page thumbnail images by communicating and concurrently displaying the thumbnail images on the display of the remote media access device, and provides the identified archive data for access by a user by
 in response to the selected thumbnail image corresponding to a media content unit including a single image-based media content page, displaying at least one of image data and text data for the entire media content page on the display at the remote media device, and   in response to the selected thumbnail image corresponding to a media content unit including at least two image-based media content pages, displaying at least one of image data and text data for an entire first one of the at least two image-based media content pages at the remote media device, and in response to a user input for accessing another one of the at least two image-based media content pages, displaying at least one of image data and text data for the entire other one of the at least two image-based media content pages.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the server communicates the identified archive data by transmitting archive data over a network to the remote media access device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the server communicates the identified archive data by communicating, over a network, an archive request identifying the identified archive data and by receiving, over the network, the identified archive data from a remote archive data source. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the server communicates the archive request in response to determining that archive data in the request is not available at the remote media access device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the server identifies archive data designated to a media content unit for which the selected thumbnail image is provided by using ID data identifying the selected thumbnail image together with stored mapping data that correlates the ID data with at least one archive, and communicates data in the at least one archive over a network to the remote media access device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the server authenticates remote media access devices by processing authentication criteria communicated from the remote media access devices with stored authentication data, and communicates and provides the identified archive data for access based on the authentication of the remote media access device to which the identified archive data is to be delivered. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the server communicates additional archive data in response to communicating the identified archive data to the remote media access device, based upon stored data identifying a relationship between the additional archive data and the identified archive data. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the server identifies archive data by identifying one of at least two sets of archive data for which the same thumbnail image is provided, based upon at least one of: available bandwidth for communicating the archive data, a device type identification of the remote media access device, and a page orientation for providing the identified archive data for access at the remote media access device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the server provides the single-page and multi-page thumbnail images by communicating and concurrently displaying the thumbnail images on a display at the remote media access device, and provides the identified archive data for access by a user by displaying the archive data for at least one of the media content pages in the media content unit for the selected thumbnail image on the display at the remote media access device.