ROUTE SETTING METHOD AND ROUTE SETTING APPARATUS IN NAVIGATION SYSTEM, AND NAVIGATION SYSTEM

A route setting method in a navigation system for obtaining a shortest route from a starting position to a destination position, includes the steps of: selecting, out of links each corresponding to a partial route connecting two route positions adjacent to each other on a route, candidacy links each connected to one of confirmed links which include a link corresponding to the partial route connected to the starting position and which have been confirmed; judging whether or not each of the candidacy links selected by the selecting step is able to pass therethrough according to link judgement information, which corresponds to a connection relationship between each of the candidacy links and the confirmed link connected to each of the candidacy links and which is set in advance; confirming one of the candidacy links judged to be able to pass therethrough by the judging step, which has the shortest integrated route distance from the starting position, as a new confirmed link; and repeating the selecting, judging and confirming steps with respect to the confirmed links including the new confirmed link confirmed by the confirming step.