To provide an equipment operating system which enables a users to easily and surely perform various kinds of operations even without using visual sensation.

The equipment operating system with speech guidance forms hierarchical menus by classifying all operative operation items of equipment by functions and by further segmentizing the classifications down to the final set items and operates the equipment by selecting the set items in the hierarchical menus or by setting the values thereof. The system manages the set items defined by inputting the assignment of the set items by speeches from the user and by subjecting the inputted speeches to speech recognition as the positions on the hierarchical menus, and therefore the operation of the equipment without using the visual sensation is made possible. Here, the recognized words subjected to speech recognition are assumed to coincide with the set items of the hierarchical menus and the user is assumed to assign the set items when the user carries out the definition operation. Since the explanation of the determined set items is performed by speech information, the apprehension of erroneous setting by the user can be eliminated.

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