Systems and methods for deployment operations for small cells in self-organizing networks

A method for use in deploying a small cell base station in a self-organizing network, the method comprising:

• communicating with an automatic configuration system using information from an initial configuration file and downloading further configuration information from the automatic configuration system;
• scanning for received radio signals to detect neighboring base stations;
• updating a neighbor list using information about the detected neighboring base stations;
• connecting to the detected neighboring base stations and receiving lists of neighboring base stations from the detected neighboring base stations;
• adding information from the received lists of neighboring base stations to the neighbor list;
• determining a physical cell identity using the neighbor list;
• and
• establishing wireless communications with user equipments in a cell using the physical cell identity.

A base station, comprising:

• one or more radio modules configured to establish wireless communications with user equipments using one or more cells;
• a sniffer module configured to detect signals from other base stations;
• a backhaul interface module configured to send data to a network and receive data from the network;
• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store instructions that when executed by the processor cause the base station to:
• scan, using the sniffer module, for received radio signals to detect neighboring base stations;
• update a neighbor list using information about the detected neighboring base stations;
• request information about the detected neighboring base stations from a mobility management entity;
• connect to the detected neighboring base stations using the information about the detected neighboring base stations received from the mobility management entity and receive lists of neighboring base stations from the detected neighboring base stations;
• connect to the detected neighboring base stations and receive lists of neighboring base stations from the detected neighboring base stations;
• add information from the received lists of neighboring base stations to the neighbor list;
• determine a physical cell identity using the neighbor list;
• and
• transmit, using at least one of the one or more radio modules, from the base station using the physical cell identity