Patent ID: 8154428

Claim:
A method for gesture recognition through a multi-touch device to control external electronic devices, the method comprising: receiving an indication of the presence of a gesture and at least one object on a clear surface of the multi-touch device via a plurality of sensors located beneath the clear surface; identifying a first plurality of characteristics associated with the gesture; identifying a second plurality of characteristics associated with the at least one object; using the first plurality of characteristics, searching a data structure to determine the existence of a single gesture with characteristics that matches the first plurality of characteristics of the single gesture, wherein the data structure is searched to determine the existence of the single gesture based on the second plurality of characteristics associated with the at least one object; responsive to a match of characteristics of the single gesture based on the second plurality of characteristics associated with the at least one object, determining whether the single gesture has an associated function; and responsive to an existence of the associated function, executing the associated function on one of a plurality of external electronic devices.