Patent ID: 8195391

Claim:
A route-finding system for locating a route within a terrain with a map databank of the terrain that contains node data and edge data, wherein nodes represent points on a path, and edges represent the connections between nodes, and with a route search system that, with specified route parameters, determines an optimal route, wherein a route comprises at least several sub-routes, wherein each sub-route comprises at least one edge, wherein a difficulty detector is present, which difficulty detector takes the difficulty of the sub-routes into consideration in the route finding, wherein a user detector is present, which user detector detects the skills of the users, which determine the influence of the difficulty of the sub-routes on the found route in the route finding, and/or a user selection, which determines the influence of the difficulty of the sub-routes on the found route in the route finding, wherein difficult sub-routes are characterized by the need to implement difficult maneuvers to travel the sub-route; and wherein the difficulty detector in a route search system determines difficult maneuvers on the basis of static route parameters and/or dynamic route parameters, wherein (a) the difficulty detector uses at least one of the following static route parameters for the determination of difficult maneuvers: the presence of traffic lights at a turning point or a crossing point; the presence of a turning lane at a turning point or a crossing point; the need for a change of lane; whether the starting position of the maneuver is disposed in a road with right of way; whether the destination position of the maneuver is disposed in a road with right of way; and the gradient of the sub-route, and/or (b) the difficulty detector uses at least one of the following dynamic route parameters for the determination of difficult maneuvers: the presence of a tailback on at least one lane of the road; the current lighting situation; the current time of day; and, the current weather conditions.