Patent ID: 8670937

Claim:
A path searching method performed by a computer, the path searching method comprising: according to a first grouping in which a plurality of road types are classified into a plurality of levels from a lowest level to a highest level, performing, by using a processor, a first path search directed from a departure point to a destination point for a road type at a level other than the highest level, which is repeated until a node of a road type at the highest level is reached while changing a search target from a road type at a lower level to a road type at a higher level, and a second path search directed from the destination point to the departure point for a road type at a level other than the highest level, which is repeated until a node of the road type at the highest level is reached while changing a search target from a road type at a lower level to a road type at a higher level; performing, by using the processor, a third path search for the road type at the highest level according to the node obtained in the first path search and the node obtained in the second path search; setting an area to be searched according to a result of the first path search, the second path search, and the third path search; according to a second grouping in which a number of road types classified into the highest level is greater than a number of road types classified into the highest level in the first grouping, performing, by using the processor, a fourth path search directed from the departure point to the destination point for a road type at a level other than the highest level in the area to be searched, which is repeated until a node of a road type at the highest level is reached while changing a search target from a road type at a lower level to a road type at a higher level, and a fifth path search directed from the destination point to the departure point for a road type at a level other than the highest level in the area to be searched, which is repeated until a node of the road type at the highest level is reached while changing a search target from a road type at a lower level to a road type at a higher level; performing, by using the processor, a sixth path search for the road type at the highest level in the area to be searched according to the node obtained in the fourth path search and the node obtained in the fifth path search; and generating path information according to a result of the fourth path search, the fifth path search, and the sixth path search.