Patent ID: 7978185

Claim:
A computer implemented method, which is implemented at a computer system having at least one processor in communication with a multi-touch input display surface, for virtually replicating a physical object at the multi-touch input display surface, the method comprising: an act of the computing system detecting that a portion of a physical object has come within the physical vicinity of a portion of the multi-touch input display surface and prior to the physical object coming in contact with the multi-touch input display surface; an act of accessing object identifying data corresponding to the physical object; an act of using the object identifying data to access image data for the physical object from a repository of stored image data; an act of using at least the accessed image data to generate a virtual replica of the physical object; and an act of presenting the virtual replica of the physical object at a location on the multi-touch input display surface prior to the physical object coming in contact with the multi-touch input display surface.