PURPOSE: To smoothly move a cursor irrespective of the extent of movement of a pointing device is large or small by varying the time of data reception from the pointing device.

CONSTITUTION: A comparing circuit 50 compares the value preliminarily set to a register 70 with the value of the data output signal outputted from an X coordinate control circuit 30. When the former is smaller, a shorter read-out time interval of an X coordinate counter is designated to an X coordinate control circuit 30; but when the former is larger, a longer read-out time interval is designated. A comparing circuit 60 compares the value preliminarily set to the register 70 with the value of the data output signal outputted from a Y coordinate control circuit 40. When the former is smaller, a shorter read-out time interval of a Y coordinate counter is designated to the Y coordinate control circuit 40; but when the former is larger, a longer read-out time interval is designated to the Y coordinate counter. Consequently, data is sampled at intervals of a short time when the pointing device is quickly moved.