Apparatus and methods for scheduling resources in mesh networks

A station (STA) in a directional millimeter wave mesh network, the STA comprising:

• a receiver configured to:
• receive, from a first neighbor STA, a first request message that includes a first transmit and receive bitmap of the first neighbor STA for directional transmission and reception with the STA, wherein the first transmit and receive bitmap indicates at least one available time slot for the directional transmission and reception of the first neighbor STA;
• and
• receive, from a second neighbor STA, a second request message that includes a second transmit and receive bitmap of the second neighbor STA for directional transmission and reception with the STA, wherein the second transmit and receive bitmap indicates at least one available time slot for the directional transmission and reception of the second neighbor STA;
• and
• a transmitter configured to:
• transmit, to the first neighbor STA, a first response frame that includes a first bitmap indicating at least one mutually available time slot between the STA and the first neighbor STA and a first element indicating a first start time of traffic in units of scheduling intervals comprising the at least one mutually available time slot between the STA and the first neighbor STA, wherein the first bitmap is a type of transmission bitmap;
• transmit, to the second neighbor STA, a second response frame that includes a second bitmap indicating at least one mutually available time slot between the STA and the second neighbor STA and a second element indicating a second start time of traffic in units of scheduling intervals comprising the at least one mutually available time slot between the STA and the second neighbor STA, wherein the second bitmap is a type of transmission bitmap,
• wherein the transmitter is further configured to, based on the first and second bitmaps, transmit, via one or more directional antenna, first data to the first neighbor STA at the first start time and second data to the second neighbor STA at the second start time.