Image oriented method and apparatus for computer control of mechanical devices.

摘要

Computer control of mechanical devices or functional components thereof is accomplished by user interaction with an imaginal depiction of the device on a suitable display screen. In preferred embodiments, the operational status of a supercritical fluid extractor is controlled by pointing to a region on the display screen corresponding to a functional component thereof, triggering a display of the operational status of that component, and modifying that operational status.