Access point configured for multi-AP group operations using restricted target wake time (r-TWT) service period (SP)

1 . An apparatus of an access point (AP) (AP1) configured for multi-AP operation within a group of APs of a multi-AP group including at least a second AP (AP2), the apparatus comprising: processing circuitry and memory, wherein for coordinating communications within the multi-AP group using restricted target wake time (r-TWT) service periods (SPs), the processing circuitry is configured to: encode a management frame for transmission to stations (STA) associated with the AP1, the management frame encoded to include a r-TWT element that includes a r-TWT schedule for communicating within one or more r-TWT SPs; wherein the APs of the multi-AP group and their associated STAs are configured to end any transmission opportunities (TXOPs) before a start of the r-TWT SPs and initiate a time-aligned contention period for the r-TWT SPs; wherein prior to the start of the r-TWT SPs, when the AP1 is operating as a sharing AP, the AP1 is configured to: perform a channel access to acquire a TXOP for the r-TWT SPs; and wherein during the one or more r-TWT SPs, the AP1 is configured to communicate data with its associated STAs in accordance with the r-TWT schedule and the AP2 is configured to communicate with its associated STAs in accordance with the r-TWT schedule, and wherein during the r-TWT SPs, time-synchronization functions (TSFs) of the APs and the STAs are aligned, wherein the group of APs of the multi-AP group are configured to operate as a multi-link device (MLD), the MLD being a logical entity using a singly addressable instance of a medium access control (MAC) layer and a physical (PHY) layer for communicating over a plurality of links with the STAs, wherein the management frame that includes the r-TWT element transmitted by the AP1 is encoded to indicate that the AP1 is the sharing AP and intends to share the TXOP acquired by the AP1 in accordance with the r-TWT schedule, and wherein the AP2 is configured to transmit a frame encoded to include a r-TWT element that includes the r-TWT schedule for communicating with associated STAs of the AP2 within the one or more r-TWT SPs, the frame that includes the r-TWT element transmitted by the AP2 being encoded to indicate that the AP2 is a shared AP that will be sharing the TXOP in accordance with the r-TWT schedule.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the r-TWT schedule includes: a first r-TWT SP during which the AP1 is configured to communicate with its associated STAs concurrently with the AP2 communicating with its associated stations using a same channel; and a second r-TWT SP during which the AP1 is configured to communicate with its associated STAs concurrently with the AP2 communicating with its associated stations communicate over different channels.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein during the first r-TWT SP, the AP1 is configured to communicate with its associated STAs concurrently with the AP2 communicating with its associated stations over channel comprising at least a first 20 MHz channel and a second 20 MHz channel; and wherein during the second r-TWT SP, the AP1 is configured to communicate with its associated STAs over the first 20 MHz channel concurrently with the AP2 communicating with its associated stations communicate the second 20 MHz channel, wherein the first 20 MHz channel is a primary channel for a first BSS (BSS1) that includes the AP1 and its associated STAs, and wherein the second 20 MHz channel is a primary channel for a second BSS (BSS2) that includes the AP2 and its associated STAs.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein in response to the r-TWT element, the AP2 and the STAs associated with the APs of the multi-AP group are configured to refrain from contending for a TXOP for use during the r-TWT SPs, and wherein other APs and the STAs associated with the APs of the multi-AP group are configured to compute the r-TWT schedule based on a TSF of the AP1.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein prior to the start of the r-TWT SPs, when the AP1 is operating as the sharing AP, the AP1 is configured to: send a trigger frame to share the TXOP with the AP2 to initiate the r-TWT SPs.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the r-TWT element that includes the r-TWT schedule for communicating within one or more r-TWT SPs is encoded to include: a broadcast TWT ID to indicate that the r-TWT schedule is to apply to all STAs associated with the AP; a field to indicate whether the AP is operating as one of a sharing AP and a shared AP; and a channel bandwidth field to indicate a bandwidth for use during each of the one or more r-TWT SPs and indicating which channels are to be used.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when the AP1 is configured to operate a shared AP and the AP2 is configured to operate as the sharing AP, the processing circuitry is to configure the AP1 to refrain from acquiring the TXOP for an r-TWT SP and wait for the AP2 to acquire a TXOP and share the TXOP with the AP 1 .

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein prior to transmission of the management frame that includes a r-TWT schedule for communicating within one or more r-TWT SPs, the AP1 is configured to determine the r-TWT schedule with other APs of the multi-AP group.

9 . An apparatus of a non-Access Point Station (STA), the apparatus comprising: processing circuitry; and memory, wherein the STA is associated with a first Access Point station (AP) (AP1) that is configured for multi-AP operation within a group of two or more other APs of a multi-AP group including at least a second AP (AP2), wherein the processing circuitry is configured to: decode a management frame received from the AP1, the management frame including a restricted target wake time (r-TWT) element that includes a r-TWT schedule for communicating within one or more r-TWT service periods (r-TWT SPs); end any transmission opportunities (TXOPs) before a start of the r-TWT SPs and initiate a time-aligned contention period for the r-TWT SPs; communicate data with the AP1 during the one or more r-TWT SPs in accordance with the r-TST schedule, wherein during the one or more r-TWT SPs, the AP1 is configured to communicate data with its other associated STAs in accordance with the r-TWT schedule and the AP2 is configured to communicate with its associated STAs in accordance with the r-TWT schedule, and wherein during the r-TWT SPs, time-synchronization functions (TSFs) of the APs and their associated STAs are aligned, wherein the group of APs of the multi-AP group are configured to operate as a multi-link device (MLD), the MLD being a logical entity using a singly addressable instance of a medium access control (MAC) layer and a physical (PHY) layer for communicating over a plurality of links with the STAs, wherein the management frame that includes the r-TWT element transmitted by the AP1 is encoded to indicate that the AP1 is a sharing AP and intends to share a TXOP acquired by the AP1 in accordance with the r-TWT schedule, and wherein the AP2 is configured to transmit a frame encoded to include a r-TWT element that includes the r-TWT schedule for communicating with associated STAs of the AP2 within the one or more r-TWT SPs, the frame that includes the r-TWT element transmitted by the AP2 being encoded to indicate that the AP2 is a shared AP that will be sharing the TXOP in accordance with the r-TWT schedule.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein in response to receipt of the r-TWT element from the AP1, the STA is configured to refrain from contending for a TXOP for use during the r-TWT SPs.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the AP 1 and the AP2 of the multi-AP group and their associated STAs are configured to end any TXOPs before a start of the r-TWT SPs to initiate the time-aligned contention period for the r-TWT SPs.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the r-TWT schedule includes: a first r-TWT SP during which the AP1 is configured to communicate with its associated STAs concurrently with the AP2 communicating with its associated stations using a same channel; and a second r-TWT SP during which the AP1 is configured to communicate with its associated STAs concurrently with the AP2 communicating with its associated stations communicate over different channels.

13 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by processing circuitry of an access point (AP) (AP1) configured for multi-AP operation within a group of other APs of a multi-AP group including at least a second AP (AP2), wherein for coordinating communications within the multi-AP group using restricted target wake time (r-TWT) service periods (SPs), the processing circuitry is configured to: encode a management frame for transmission to stations (STA) associated with the AP1, the management frame encoded to include a r-TWT element that includes a r-TWT schedule for communicating within one or more r-TWT SPs; wherein the APs of the multi-AP group and their associated STAs are configured to end a ny transmission opportunities (TXOPs) before a start of the r-TWT SPs and initiate a time-aligned contention period for the r-TWT SPs; wherein prior to the start of the r-TWT SPs, when the AP1 is operating as a sharing AP, the AP1 is configured to: perform a channel access to acquire a TXOP for the r-TWT SPs; and wherein during the one or more r-TWT SPs, the AP1 is configured to communicate data with its associated STAs in accordance with the r-TWT schedule and the AP2 is configured to communicate with its associated STAs in accordance with the r-TWT schedule, and wherein during the r-TWT SPs, time-synchronization functions (TSFs) of the APs and the STAs are aligned, wherein the group of APs of the multi-AP group are configured to operate as a multi-link device (MLD), the MLD being a logical entity using a singly addressable instance of a medium access control (MAC) layer and a physical (PHY) layer for communicating over a plurality of links with the STAs, wherein the management frame that includes the r-TWT element transmitted by the AP1 is encoded to indicate that the AP1 is the sharing AP and intends to share the TXOP acquired by the AP1 in accordance with the r-TWT schedule, and wherein the AP2 is configured to transmit a frame encoded to include a r-TWT element that includes the r-TWT schedule for communicating with associated STAs of the AP2 within the one or more r-TWT SPs, the frame that includes the r-TWT element transmitted by the AP2 being encoded to indicate that the AP2 is a shared AP that will be sharing the TXOP in accordance with the r-TWT schedule.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the r-TWT schedule includes: a first r-TWT SP during which the AP1 is configured to communicate with its associated STAs concurrently with the AP2 communicating with its associated stations using a same channel; and a second r-TWT SP during which the AP1 is configured to communicate with its associated STAs concurrently with the AP2 communicating with its associated stations communicate over different channels.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein during the first r-TWT SP, the AP1 is configured to communicate with its associated STAs concurrently with the AP2 communicating with its associated stations over channel comprising at least a first 20 MHz channel and a second 20 MHz channel; and wherein during the second r-TWT SP, the AP1 is configured to communicate with its associated STAs over the first 20 MHz channel concurrently with the AP2 communicating with its associated stations communicate the second 20 MHz channel, wherein the first 20 MHz channel is a primary channel for a first BSS (BSS1) that includes the AP1 and its associated STAs, and wherein the second 20 MHz channel is a primary channel for a second BSS (BSS2) that includes the AP2 and its associated STAs.