An apparatus on an access point side for communication in a wireless network, the apparatus comprising: (a) a wireless communication circuit configured for wirelessly communicating with other wireless communication stations in a wireless network utilizing directional wireless communication over a plurality of antenna pattern sectors each having a different transmission direction; (b) a processor coupled to said wireless communication circuit within a station configured for operating on the wireless network; and (c) a non-transitory memory storing instructions executable by the processor; (d) wherein said instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to perform steps comprising: (i) dividing up a contention access period in a data transmission interval, DTI, by a number of best antenna sector directions from an access point, AP, station to a plurality of stations (STAs) in the wireless network, to obtain a plurality of time slots so that each station, STA, is given an STA time slot, either for sole use by the station or shared with one or more other stations; (ii) setting a receiver beamforming, RXBF, flag within a management frame transmitted by the access point, AP, if it is determined that scheduled receiver beamforming is to be utilized, wherein it is determined that scheduled receiver beamforming is to be utilized when the number of best antenna sector directions is above a predetermined threshold, and defaulting to a conventional contention access mechanism without receiver beamforming at the access point, AP, if it is determined by the access point, AP, that the number of best antenna sector directions is not above the predetermined threshold; and when it is determined that scheduled receiver beamforming is to be utilized, (iii) using receiver beamforming at the access point, AP, station to control directional reception of data over each antenna sector direction in each STA time slot over a corresponding antenna sector direction. (a) a wireless communication circuit configured for wirelessly communicating with other wireless communication stations in a wireless network utilizing directional wireless communication over a plurality of antenna pattern sectors each having a different transmission direction; (b) a processor coupled to said wireless communication circuit within a station configured for operating on the wireless network; and (c) a non-transitory memory storing instructions executable by the processor; (d) wherein said instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to perform steps comprising: (i) dividing up a contention access period in a data transmission interval, DTI, by a number of best antenna sector directions from an access point, AP, station to a plurality of stations (STAs) in the wireless network, to obtain a plurality of time slots so that each station, STA, is given an STA time slot, either for sole use by the station or shared with one or more other stations; (ii) setting a receiver beamforming, RXBF, flag within a management frame transmitted by the access point, AP, if it is determined that scheduled receiver beamforming is to be utilized, wherein it is determined that scheduled receiver beamforming is to be utilized when the number of best antenna sector directions is above a predetermined threshold, and defaulting to a conventional contention access mechanism without receiver beamforming at the access point, AP, if it is determined by the access point, AP, that the number of best antenna sector directions is not above the predetermined threshold; and when it is determined that scheduled receiver beamforming is to be utilized, (iii) using receiver beamforming at the access point, AP, station to control directional reception of data over each antenna sector direction in each STA time slot over a corresponding antenna sector direction. (i) dividing up a contention access period in a data transmission interval, DTI, by a number of best antenna sector directions from an access point, AP, station to a plurality of stations (STAs) in the wireless network, to obtain a plurality of time slots so that each station, STA, is given an STA time slot, either for sole use by the station or shared with one or more other stations; (ii) setting a receiver beamforming, RXBF, flag within a management frame transmitted by the access point, AP, if it is determined that scheduled receiver beamforming is to be utilized, wherein it is determined that scheduled receiver beamforming is to be utilized when the number of best antenna sector directions is above a predetermined threshold, and defaulting to a conventional contention access mechanism without receiver beamforming at the access point, AP, if it is determined by the access point, AP, that the number of best antenna sector directions is not above the predetermined threshold; and when it is determined that scheduled receiver beamforming is to be utilized, (iii) using receiver beamforming at the access point, AP, station to control directional reception of data over each antenna sector direction in each STA time slot over a corresponding antenna sector direction.