Patent ID: 8483949

Claim:
A running pattern calculating apparatus that calculates a running pattern in a path along which a vehicle will travel, comprising: a road information storage portion that stores road information; a running state predicting portion that predicts a running state when the vehicle will travel on a road, based on the road information stored in the road information storage portion; an evaluation function setting portion that divides the road into a plurality of sections based on the running state predicted by the running state predicting portion, and sets an evaluation function for each road section; and a running pattern calculating portion that calculates a running pattern of the vehicle that will travel on the road, based on the evaluation function set for each road section by the evaluation function setting portion, wherein the running state predicting portion calculates a speed pattern predicted when the vehicle will travel on the road, based on the road information stored in the road information storage portion, and the evaluation function setting portion divides the road into at least an acceleration section and a deceleration section as the road sections, based on the speed pattern calculated by the running state predicting portion, and sets an acceleration section evaluation function for the acceleration section, and a deceleration section evaluation function for the deceleration section.