Method and system for requesting and granting priority between vehicles

A system for requesting and granting priority between a host vehicle and other vehicles, comprising:

• vehicle sensors configured to detect objects and drivable surfaces in proximity of the host vehicle while the host vehicle is traveling along a host vehicle path;
• a communication interface through which the host vehicle can communicate with other vehicles and with a central server;
• a memory configured to store instructions;
• and
• a processor, coupled to the memory, the communication interface, and the vehicle sensors, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the processor is configured to perform operations to request priority from another vehicle, including
• monitoring data from the vehicle sensors to detect an impeding vehicle which interferes with the host vehicle's path,
• identifying the impeding vehicle,
• transmitting a host vehicle priority request including a host remuneration offer through the communication interface to the impeding vehicle,
• receiving an impeding vehicle response which grants or denies the host vehicle priority request,
• generating a priority event record including an identity of the impeding vehicle,
• storing the priority event record in the memory, and
• generating a remuneration record related to the priority event record, wherein the remuneration record includes
• a currency value of the host remuneration offer associated with the priority event record,
• an identity of the host vehicle as a debtor, and
• the identity of the impeding vehicle as a creditor,
• and wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the processor is further configured to perform operations to grant priority to a requesting vehicle, including
• monitoring data received from the vehicle sensors for possible changes to the host vehicle path,
• receiving a priority request including a request remuneration offer through the communication interface from the requesting vehicle,
• deciding whether to grant or reject the received priority request,
• transmitting a priority request response to the requesting vehicle,
• modifying the host vehicle path to be less impeding to the requesting vehicle if the received priority request was granted,
• generating a further priority event record including an identity of the requesting vehicle,
• storing the further priority event record in the memory, and
• generating a remuneration record related to the further priority event record, wherein the remuneration record includes
• a currency value of the request remuneration offer associated with the further priority event record,
• an identity of the host vehicle as a creditor, and
• the identity of the requesting vehicle as a debtor.