Abstract: Automatic writing systems and methods of word processing therefor are provided in accordance with the teachings of the present invention wherein a central processor and a plurality of peripherals including at least keyboard means, printer means, buffer means and means for recording data on a record media are each connected to a common data bus, a common status bus and a common instruction word bus and a printer data storage peripheral means is connected to said common data bus and said common instruction word bus. Alphameric character data, format data, and function data may be entered from the keyboard and the presence of such data is indicated to the central processor on the common status bus. Upon receipt of a data presence condition, program control is initiated by the central processor calculated to achieve the designated function or functions with the alphameric or format data presented.

Abstract: The keyboard, printer and recording means are peripheral units under the control of a microprocessor including a programmable read-only memory from which appropriate control instructions are derived. Control signal sequences for operating the word processing system are the result of addressing of the read-only memory in accordance with the sensed status of the attached peripheral units and a priority schedule. The peripheral units operate semiautomatically in response to control instructions to execute a commanded function.Control instructions fall into various classes for controlling peripherals, determining the status of peripherals or performing internal operations within the microprocessor. The format of the next address or sequence of addresses to be applied to the read-only memory is dependent on the class of the prior control instruction or the response of a peripheral unit to a particular control signal.