A display system displays a cursor on a monitor using parallel pixels of video data. A hardware cursor processor receives a sequence of clock signals, cursor data, parallel video data arranged in P logical pixels per clock signal, and cursor position data. The hardware cursor processor provides composite video data representative of the cursor data and the video data to a memory. The composite video data is arranged in P logical pixels per clock signal. The hardware cursor processor arranges the cursor data within the P logical pixels per clock signal in response to the cursor position data. The cursor position data includes a position signal HPOS indicative of the horizontal position of the cursor on the screen and includes a preset signal HPRE indicative of the horizontal offset of the cursor. The cursor data is arranged within the P logical pixels of the composite video data to begin at the logical pixel equal to [(HPOS-HPRE) modulus P]. A memory has an input coupled to the output of the hardware cursor processor and has an output for providing a digital video signal indicative of the video data and the cursor data. A digital-to-analog converter has an input coupled to the output of the memory for receiving the digital video signal and has an output coupled to the monitor for providing an analog signal indicative of the cursor data and the video data. The monitor has an input coupled to the output of the digital-to-analog converter for displaying the video data and the, cursor data in response to the analog signal.

A cursor control system and method of implementing same is provided for adjusting the cursor blinking frequency so that the cursor blinks on the display screen at a frequency which i a function (linear or non-linear) of a measured physical condition (e.g. pulse rate) of the user. For example, the cursor frequency may be adjusted so that the cursor blinks on the display screen at a rate or frequency corresponding to the measured pulse rate of the user.

In a graphics system, an apparatus and method reduce the computational complexity for clipping in a graphics environment by determining the relationship between a line and a graphics element, and performing an optimized number of calculations based on the determined relationship. More specifically, it is first determined whether a clipping operation must be performed at all. This is done by forming a rectangle using the line as a diagonal and comparing that rectangle to the graphics element area to determine overlap. If there is no overlap, no clipping needs to be performed. If there is overlap, the overlapping area is determined and categorized, and a corresponding clipping operation is then performed.

Apparatus and methods perform an improved cursor controlling technique by determining a spatial relationship between a graphics element and a cursor, and then writing the graphics element without turning off the cursor if the graphics element and the cursor do not overlap.