Patent ID: 8271423

Claim:
An optimum route searching apparatus for searching for an optimum cable laying route, comprising: search data storage means for storing search data comprising information related to a route that has a node as a connection point; simplification means for creating simplified data by extracting, from among the information related to the route, information related to a node constituting a branching point, a bending point and a terminal point; connection information creation means for creating route connection information based on the simplified data; and searching means for searching for an optimum cable laying route candidate based on the connection information, wherein the searching means has: search route card writing-type searching means; and search termination determination means, and the search route card writing-type searching means has: card creation means for creating a card into which sequentially connected nodes are written; and card writing means for writing to the card a route of interconnected nodes from a start point to either an end point or a dead end, and the search termination determination means determines search termination for all routes in accordance with the route of interconnected nodes from the start point to either the end point or the dead end having been written to all cards by the card writing means.