Navigation apparatus

A navigation apparatus comprising:

• a guided vehicle position determining portion that determines the position of a guided vehicle;
• and
• a controller that:
• searches for a recommended route to a destination point;
• determines zones in which problem conditions will be identified;
• in a determined zone, identifies the presence or absence of a problem condition that makes it likely that the guided vehicle will deviate from the recommended route, based on peripheral carrier information, which is information related to carriers that are traveling in the vicinity of the guided vehicle;
• and
• if a problem condition is present, sets a starting point at a position where the guided vehicle is anticipated to reach after deviating from the recommended route, and searches for a new recommended route from the starting point to the destination point.

A navigation method, for use with a navigation apparatus, comprising:

• determining the position of a guided vehicle;
• searching for a recommended route to a destination point;
• determining zones in which problem conditions will be identified;
• identifying, in a determined zone, the presence or absence of a problem condition that makes it likely that the guided vehicle will deviate from the recommended route, based on peripheral carrier information, which is information related to carriers that are traveling in the vicinity of the guided vehicle;
• and
• if a problem condition is present:
• setting a starting point at a position where the guided vehicle is anticipated to reach after deviating from the recommended route;
• and
• searching for a new recommended route from the starting point to the destination point.

A navigation apparatus comprising:

• means for determining the position of a guided vehicle;
• means for searching for a recommended route to a destination point;
• means for determining zones in which problem conditions will be identified;
• means for identifying, in a determined zone, the presence or absence of a problem condition that makes it likely that the guided vehicle will deviate from the recommended route, based on peripheral carrier information, which is information related to carriers that are traveling in the vicinity of the guided vehicle;
• means for setting, if a problem condition is present, a starting point at a position where the guided vehicle is anticipated to reach after deviating from the recommended route;
• and
• means for searching for a new recommended route from the starting point to the destination point.