Method and apparatus for frequency scan in Narrow Band—Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems

An apparatus for wireless communication by a User Equipment (UE), comprising:

• means for searching for a cell on a plurality of frequency rasters based on a multi-stage search,
• wherein the means for searching, in each stage of the multi-stage search, is configured to search the plurality of frequency rasters for a different dwell time, the dwell time corresponding to an amount of time a frequency raster is searched for, wherein the dwell time for each stage of the multi-stage search is configured to search cells associated with a different range of Signal to Noise Ratios (SNRs), wherein the means for searching searches the plurality of frequency rasters one stage at a time starting from a stage corresponding to the smallest dwell time and in ascending order of dwell times;
• and
• means for detecting a cell on at least one of the plurality of frequency rasters based on the searching.

An apparatus for wireless communication by a User Equipment (UE), comprising:

• at least one processor configured to:
• search for a cell on of a plurality of frequency rasters based on a multi-stage search,
• wherein the at least one processor is configured to, in each stage of the multi-stage search, search the plurality of frequency rasters for a different dwell time, the dwell time corresponding to an amount of time the UE searches a frequency raster for, wherein the dwell time for each stage of the multi-stage search is configured to search cells associated with a different range of Signal to Noise Ratios (SNRs), wherein the plurality of frequency rasters are searched one stage at a time starting from a stage corresponding to the smallest dwell time and in ascending order of dwell times;
• and
• detect a cell on at least one of the plurality of frequency rasters based on the searching;
• and
• a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium for wireless communication by a User Equipment (UE), the computer-readable medium storing instructions which when processed by at least one processor performs a method comprising:

• searching for a cell on of a plurality of frequency rasters based on a multi-stage search,
• wherein the searching comprises, in each stage of the multi-stage search, searching the plurality of frequency rasters for a different dwell time, the dwell time corresponding to an amount of time a frequency raster is searched for, wherein the dwell time for each stage of the multi-stage search is configured to search cells associated with a different range of Signal to Noise Ratios (SNRs), wherein the plurality of frequency rasters are searched one stage at a time starting from a stage corresponding to the smallest dwell time and in ascending order of dwell times;
• and
• detecting a cell on at least one of the plurality of frequency rasters based on the searching.