Methods and apparatus for creating and hosting customized virtual parties via the internet

Abstract

The method of creating and hosting customized online gatherings (“parties”). One or more server computers communicate via the Internet with Web browsers operated by users. The server computer(s) store data defining one or more template web pages that implement one or more activities in which users may participate. One of the users serves as the host of the online gathering and provides a guest list identifying other invited users. In response to the host's selection of a gathering type, and possibly a specific theme for the gathering type, the server constructs a set of preliminary web pages that conform to the selected gathering type and theme. Thereafter, the host may further “decorate” the preliminary pages by supplying additional or replacement text, additional or replacement graphical image files, audio files or video clips that are incorporated into the template web pages to produce the desired customized online gathering. The host may designate a time or time range during which the online gathering will occur, and may provide an invitation list that may include email addresses of users who are then sent email invitations in advance of the scheduled gathering time. If the gathering is open only to invited users, access to the online gathering is restricted to those users who present a predetermined identification code. The online gathering as implemented by the customized Web pages comprises one or more community activities, such as chat rooms, threaded discussion bulletin boards, or picture-viewing rooms, in which invited users can view information supplied by the host or other guests. The server that executes some or all of the functions required for accepting customization data and a guest list from the host, and that handles the request/response dialog with the invited users to execute the online gathering, may advantageously take the form of an application service provider (ASP) server which operates independently of collaborating servers who utilize the services of the ASP server.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.