Patent ID: 7400973

Claim:
A navigation apparatus for carrying out a route search to a set destination, and subsequently providing route guidance according to a search result, comprising: a vehicle location calculating section configured to (a) calculate locations of a vehicle associated with the navigation apparatus as the vehicle is traveling and (b) store the locations calculated into a travel history memory to build a travel history of the vehicle; a route search processing section configured to subsequently (1) determines that a user travels more frequently in a first area associated with a first portion of a route from a start point to a destination than in a second area associated with a second portion of the route from the start point to the destination based upon the travel history of the vehicle stored in the travel history memory, the first area being different than the second area, (2) search for the first portion of the route from the start point to the destination running through the first area based upon a predetermined first search condition specific to the user, and (3) search for the second portion of the route from the start point to the destination running through the second area based upon a predetermined recommended second search condition.