Optimized image delivery over limited bandwidth communication channels

A method of providing images over one or more network communication channels for display on a user computing device, the method comprising steps of:

• receiving at one or more servers a first request from the user computing device, over the one or more network communication channels, the first request being for a first update data parcel corresponding to a first derivative image of a predetermined image, the predetermined image corresponding to source image data, the first update data parcel uniquely forming a first discrete portion of the predetermined image, wherein the first update data parcel is selected based on a first user-controlled image viewpoint on the user computing device relative to the predetermined image;
• sending the first update data parcel from the one or more servers to the user computing device over the one or more network communication channels, the step of sending the first update data parcel being performed in response to the first request;
• receiving at the one or more servers a second request from the user computing device, over the one or more network communication channels, the second request being for a second update data parcel corresponding to a second derivative image of the predetermined image, the second update data parcel uniquely forming a second discrete portion of the predetermined image, wherein the second update data parcel is selected based on a second user-controlled image viewpoint on the user computing device relative to the predetermined image, the second user-controlled image viewpoint being different from the first user-controlled image viewpoint;
• sending the second update data parcel from the one or more servers to the user computing device over the one or more network communication channels, the step of sending the second update data parcel being performed in response to the second request;
• processing the source image data to obtain a series of K1-N derivative images of progressively lower image resolution, the series of K1-N derivative images comprising the first derivative image and the second derivative image, wherein series image K0 of the series of K1-N derivative images is subdivided into a regular array wherein each resulting image parcel of the array has a predetermined pixel resolution and a predetermined color or bit per pixel depth, resolution of the series K1-N of derivative images being related to resolution of the source image data or predecessor image in the series by a factor of two, and the array subdivision being related by a factor of two.