Patent ID: 7733343

Claim:
A method comprising: detecting placement of a real-world physical object at a location on a surface; and, displaying a computer-generated virtual shadow for the physical object at the location on the surface in an interactive gaming environment, wherein detecting the placement of the physical object at the location on the surface comprises one or more of: detecting the placement of physical object at the location on an at least substantially horizontal surface; detecting the placement of the physical object at the location on the surface disposed over a display mechanism, the virtual shadow being displayed by the display mechanism; detecting the placement of the physical object at the location on the surface of the display mechanism, the virtual shadow being displayed by the display mechanism; and, detecting the placement of the physical object at the location on a touch-sensitive surface, wherein the virtual shadow does not correspond to the shape of the physical Object, the virtual shadow is animated over a period of time even when the physical object remains stationary, and the virtual shadow reflects a personality or alter ego of the physical object in order to provide entertainment value for one or more users associated with the physical object.