Patent ID: 7657370

Claim:
A navigation apparatus, comprising: at least one memory that: stores a plurality of traffic information tables, the traffic information tables including a length of time required to travel from a predefined one of a plurality of predefined traffic information service areas to each remaining one of the plurality of predefined traffic information service areas, or an arrival time at the each remaining one of the plurality of predefined traffic information service areas, during one of a plurality of first predefined time periods; and stores, for each of a plurality of second predefined time periods, predicted traffic information associated with each of at least one link within each predefined traffic information service area; and at least one controller that: selects a traffic information table from the plurality of traffic information tables, wherein the selected traffic information table includes as the predefined one of the plurality of predefined traffic information service areas a predefined traffic information service area containing a starting point and the selected traffic information table corresponds to one of the plurality of first predefined time periods in which traveling will start; and searches for a route from the starting point to a destination using the predicted traffic information, wherein the predicted traffic information is associated with each of the at least one link within any one of the plurality of predefined traffic information service areas and the predicted traffic information is acquired based on the length of time or the arrival time included in the selected traffic information table.