Patent ID: 8200417

Claim:
A route search apparatus equipped with a route search unit that computes an evaluation value of each section of a route from a departure place to a destination and retrieves a route by which a total evaluation value is minimized from among route candidates that provide a route from a departure place to a destination, the route search apparatus comprising: a drowsiness detector that detects the drowsiness of a driver of a vehicle; and a control device that facilitates storing in a storage unit a driving section where the drowsiness of the driver was detected by the drowsiness detector with a time of day in which the drowsiness was detected; referring to the storage unit and determining whether or not the driving section where the drowsiness of the driver was previously detected is included in a route candidate, computing a period of time in which the vehicle passes the driving section where the drowsiness of the driver was previously detected, the period of time being determined when it is determined that the driving section where the drowsiness of the driver was detected is included in a route candidate, and referencing the storage unit to determine whether the period of time that the vehicle passes the driving section matches the time of day in which drowsiness was previously detected for the driving section, when it is determined that the route candidate includes the driving section where the drowsiness of the driver was previously detected increasing the evaluation value of the driving section where the drowsiness of the driver was detected, and searching for an alternate route from the departure place to the destination, and determining that the period of time matches the time of day that the drowsiness of the driver was previously detected for the driving section, increasing the evaluation value of the driving section where the drowsiness of the driver was detected and searching for an alternate route from the departure place to the destination.