Patent ID: 8862291

Claim:
A system comprising: a first magnetic sensor configured to be coupled to a vehicle that travels in a network of plural route segments having fixed positions, the first magnetic sensor also configured to generate an output signal based on an orientation of the first magnetic sensor relative to an external magnetic field; a control unit configured to receive the output signal from the first magnetic sensor and an operator-designated route segment, the operator-designated route segment representing a selected route segment of the route segments that is identified by the operator as being the route segment on which the vehicle is traveling; and a memory unit configured to be communicatively coupled with the control unit and to store relative geographic positions of the route segments, the route segments including a first route segment that intersects with at least a second route segment and a third route segment at an intersection; wherein the control unit is configured to: identify a directional heading of the vehicle based on the output signal from the first magnetic sensor; determine which of the second route segment or the third route segment that the vehicle travels onto from the first route segment by comparing the directional heading of the vehicle to the relative geographic position of the second route segment and the relative geographic position of the third route segment; and determine if the second route segment or the third route segment is the operator-designated route segment.