Methods and apparatuses for enabling a donor access point to share a transmission opportunity with other co-channel recipient access points

An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least:

• receiving a TxOP return frame from a recipient access point that is currently sharing the TxOP of the apparatus prior to an end of a TxOP allocation of the recipient access point;
• and
• determining whether to transmit another TxOP return frame indicating that the TxOP is now being shared with another recipient access point that is next in an TxOP allocation order prior to an allocation start time assigned to the another recipient access point.

A method comprising:

• utilizing a portion of a transmission opportunity (TxOP) of a donor access point to exchange frames with one or more associated non-AP stations with which a recipient access point is in communication;
• and
• upon completing utilization of the TxOP prior to an end of the TxOP allocation specified by the donor access point for use by a recipient access point, transmitting a TxOP return frame to relinquish the TxOP.