Navigation device & method

A server comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a storage section storing map information, the map information including information identifying a plurality of potential positions, each potential position corresponding to a position at which a location of a predetermined type might potentially be found;
• a search route module arranged to determine one or more search routes, each search route visiting at least one of the potential positions, the determination of each search route using a predetermined efficiency measure based on likelihood of finding a location of the predetermined type and design a search route from the one or more determined search routes to a destination, wherein the designed search route is a route having a highest probability of potential positions of the predetermined type of the one or more determined search routes and provide the designed search route to a user;
• a receiving section for receiving, over a network, a request for a search route from a remote device;
• and
• a sending section for sending, over the network, the search route determined by the search route module.

A computer-implemented method of providing a search route comprising:

• receiving a request to provide a search route for a location of a predetermined type;
• identifying, from map information, a plurality of potential positions, each potential position corresponding to a position at which a location of the predetermined type might potentially be found;
• determining one or more routes visiting at least one of the potential positions, the determination of the one or more routes using a predetermined efficiency measure based on likelihood of finding a location of the predetermined type;
• designing a route from the one or more determined routes to a destination, wherein the designed route is a route having a highest probability of potential positions of the predetermined type of the one or more determined routes;
• and
• outputting the designed route as the search route.