Methods and apparatuses for facilitating dormant cell discovery

Abstract

A method of facilitating dormant small cell discovery in a wireless communications network including at least a small cell and a second cell includes changing, at the small cell, an operating state of the small cell from an active state to a dormant state, the dormant state being a state in which the small cell transmits discovery signals and does not transmit DL broadcast or DL control channels, the discovery signals being signals through which user equipments (UE)s discover the dormant small cell; sending, from the dormant small cell, a notification, the notification identifying, for at least the second cell, a duty cycle with which the first small cell will periodically transmit the discovery signals; and transmitting, from the dormant small, the discovery signals using a periodic transmission pattern that includes active portions and non-active portions defined by the duty cycle.