Patent ID: 8265867

Claim:
A route search system comprising: a map data storing unit which stores a roadmap data containing, as the attribute of a road, whether the road is a road located within a flat-rate pay area where a fixed fare is charged on a mobile unit transiting the area regardless of the number of times the mobile unit transits the area within a fixed period of time; a position detecting unit which detects the current position of the mobile unit; a flat-rate pay area transit recording unit which stores that the mobile unit has transited the flat-rate pay area, when the current position detected by the position detecting unit came to be on a road located within the flat-rate pay indicated by the attribute of the roadmap data stored in the map data storing unit; an input unit which inputs whether to permit the transit of the flat-rate pay area for each of first and second operation modes separately set by first and second users, the first and second users being different from one another; and a route calculating unit which is programmed to: select the first operation mode when the route search system is employed by the first user, calculate the optimum route to the destination within routes also including roads within the flat-rate pay area on the basis of the roadmap data stored in the map data storing unit, when operating according to the first operation mode regardless of whether it has been inputted by the input unit for the first operation mode that the transit of the flat-rate pay area is not permitted, if the flat-rate pay area transit recording unit stores that the mobile unit has transited the flat-rate pay area while operating in the first operation mode, switch from the first to the second operation mode when the person employing the route search system changes from the first user to the second user, and if the switch to the second operation mode occurs while the flat-rate pay area transit recording unit stores that the mobile unit transited the flat-rate pay area within the fixed period of time while operating in the first operation mode, calculate the optimum route to the destination within routes also including roads within the flat-rate pay area on the basis of the roadmap data stored in the map data storing unit while operating in the second operation mode, even if it is inputted by the input unit that the transit of the flat-rate pay area is not permitted upon operating in the second operation mode.