Personal computer

About: Personal computer is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 58809 publications have been published within this topic receiving 800814 citations. The topic is also known as: PC.

Effective affective user interface design in games

Abstract: It is proposed that games, which are designed to generate positive affect, are most successful when they facilitate flow (Csikszentmihalyi 1992). Flow is a state of concentration, deep enjoyment, and total absorption in an activity. The study of games, and a resulting understanding of flow in games can inform the design of non-leisure software for positive affect. The paper considers the ways in which computer games contravene Nielsen's guidelines for heuristic evaluation (Nielsen and Molich 1990) and how these contraventions impact on flow. The paper also explores the implications for research that stem from the differences between games played on a personal computer and games played on a dedicated console. This research takes important initial steps towards defining how flow in computer games can inform affective design.

Development of a Comprehensive Modal Emissions Model

Abstract: In August 1995, the College of Engineering-Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT) at the University of California-Riverside along with researchers from the University of Michigan and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, began a four-year research project to develop a Comprehensive Modal Emissions Model (CMEM), sponsored by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP, Project 25-11). The overall objective of the research project was to develop and verify a modal emissions model that accurately reflects Light-Duty Vehicle (LDV, i.e., cars and small trucks) emissions produced as a function of the vehicle's operating mode. The model is comprehensive in the sense that it is able to predict emissions for a wide variety of LDVs in various states of condition (e.g., properly functioning, deteriorated, malfunctioning). The model is now complete and capable of predicting second-by-second tailpipe emissions and fuel consumption for a wide range of vehicle/technology categories. In creating CMEM, over 350 vehicles were extensively tested on a chassis dynamometer, where second-by-second measurements were made of both engine-out and tailpipe emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. CMEM itself runs on a personal computer or on a UNIX workstation. The model and the emissions database are both available on a CD.

Hand-held computers incorporating reduced area imaging devices

Abstract: A reduced area imaging device is provided for use with a miniature hand-held computer referred to in the industry as a PDA. In one configuration of the imaging device, the image sensor is placed remote from the remaining image processing circuitry. In a second configuration, all of the image processing circuitry to include the image sensor is placed in a stacked fashion near the same location. In the first configuration, the entire imaging device can be placed at the distal end of a camera module. In a second configuration, the image sensor is remote from the remaining image processing circuitry wherein available space within the PDA is used to house the remaining circuitry. In any of the embodiments, the image sensor may be placed alone on a first circuit board, or timing and control circuits may be included on the first circuit board containing the image sensor. One or more video processing boards can be stacked in a longitudinal fashion with respect to the first board, or the video processing boards may be placed within the housing of the communication device. The PDA includes a miniature LCD-type video view screen which is capable of viewing not only the images taken by the camera module, but also can show incoming video images received from a personal computer connected to a global communications network. The camera module is of such small size that it can be easily stored within the housing of the PDA, and may be attached thereto as by a small retractable cable.