Patent ID: 8548809

Claim:
A voice guidance system for providing a guidance by voice concerning operations of an image forming apparatus, comprising: (1) an external terminal configured to be connectable to the image forming apparatus, and that changes a function of the image forming apparatus related to execution of a job as a result of a connection of the external terminal to the image forming apparatus; (2) a detector that detects a connection of a job memory storage device in which setting information of a predetermined function of the image forming apparatus is prestored; (3) a determining unit that determines, prior to executing the predetermined function, upon detection of the connection of the job memory storage device by the detector, whether the predetermined function whose setting information is prestored in the job memory storage device is executable in the image forming apparatus or not; (4) a voice guidance unit that, if the determining unit determines that the predetermined function is not executable, synthesizes voice guidance information indicating that the predetermined function is not executable and a first reason why the function is not executable, and audibly outputs the synthesized voice guidance information; and (5) a priority level change unit configured to determine a priority level of the synthesized voice guidance information and to change an output order of the synthesized voice guidance information based on the priority level, wherein the voice guidance unit audibly outputs a second reason, in priority to the first reason based on the priority level determined by the priority level change unit, that indicates that the external terminal necessary for performing the predetermined function is not connected.