Power efficient small base station scanning and acquisition

At least one processor, associated with a user equipment, for discovering and acquiring a small base station, comprising:

• a first module for communicating with a macro network component including obtaining a macro network component identifier;
• a second module for accessing, at a user equipment (UE), stored access information comprising one or more stored macro network component identifiers each corresponding to one or more small base station identifiers and associated small base station provisioning information for each small base station identifier, wherein each of the small base station provisioning information enables scanning and acquiring of a small base station corresponding to the small base station identifier;
• a third module, comprising hardware, for determining proximity to the small base station based on the macro network component identifier corresponding to one of the one or more stored macro network component identifiers, wherein the small base station is identified by at least a corresponding one of the one or more small base station identifiers
• a fourth module for restricting scanning for the small base station to scanning based on the provisioning information of the one or more small base station identifiers corresponding to the one or more stored macro network component identifiers corresponding to the macro network component identifier;
• and
• a fifth module for acquiring the small base station using the provisioning information of the one or more small base station identifiers corresponding to the one or more stored macro network component identifiers corresponding to the macro network component identifier.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code, comprising:

• code for causing a computer to communicate with a macro network component including obtaining a macro network component identifier;
• code for causing the computer to access stored access information comprising one or more stored macro network component identifiers each corresponding to one or more small base station identifiers and associated small base station provisioning information for each small base station identifier, wherein each of the small base station provisioning information enables scanning and acquiring of a small base station corresponding to the small base station identifier;
• code for causing the computer to determine proximity to the small base station based on the macro network component identifier corresponding to one of the one or more stored macro network component identifiers, wherein the small base station is identified by at least a corresponding one of the one or more small base station identifiers;
• and
• code for causing the computer to restrict scanning for the small base station to scanning based on the provisioning information of the one or more small base station identifiers corresponding to the one or more stored macro network component identifiers corresponding to the macro network component identifier;
• and
• code for causing the computer to acquire the small base station using the provisioning information of the one or more small base station identifiers corresponding to the one or more stored macro network component identifiers corresponding to the macro network component identifier.

A user equipment apparatus for discovering and acquiring a small base station, comprising:

• means for communicating with a macro network component including obtaining a macro network component identifier;
• means for accessing stored access information comprising one or more stored macro network component identifiers each corresponding to one or more small base station identifiers and associated small base station provisioning information for each small base station identifier, wherein each of the small base station provisioning information enables scanning and acquiring of a small base station corresponding to the small base station identifier;
• means for determining proximity to the small base station based on the macro network component identifier corresponding to one of the one or more stored macro network component identifiers, wherein the small base station is identified by at least a corresponding one of the one or more small base station identifiers;
• and
• means for restricting scanning for the small base station to scanning based on the provisioning information of the one or more small base station identifiers corresponding to the one or more stored macro network component identifiers corresponding to the macro network component identifier;
• and
• means for acquiring the small base station using the provisioning information of the one or more small base station identifiers corresponding to the one or more stored macro network component identifiers corresponding to the macro network component identifier.

A user equipment apparatus for discovering and acquiring a small base station, comprising:

• a computing platform for:
• communicating with a macro network component including obtaining a macro network component identifier;
• accessing stored access information comprising one or more stored macro network component identifiers each corresponding to one or more small base station identifiers and associated small base station provisioning information for each small base station identifier, wherein each of the small base station provisioning information enables scanning and acquiring of a small base station corresponding to the small base station identifier
• determining proximity to the small base station based on the macro network component identifier corresponding to one of the one or more stored macro network component identifiers, wherein the small base station is identified by at least a corresponding one of the one or more small base station identifiers;
• and
• restricting scanning for the small base station to scanning based on the provisioning information of the one or more small base station identifiers corresponding to the one or more stored macro network component identifiers corresponding to the macro network component identifier;
• and
• a receiver for scanning and acquiring the small base station using the provisioning information of the one or more small base station identifiers corresponding to the one or more stored macro network component identifiers corresponding to the macro network component identifier.

A method for discovering and acquiring a small base station, comprising:

• accessing stored access information for a small base station;
• determining proximity to the small base station as a trigger condition to scanning and acquiring;
• identifying the small base station by receiving geographic information broadcast by the small base station, by identifying that the small base station is reporting a displaced geographic location from a stored geographic location, and by masking the received geographic information to a lower resolution;
• and
• scanning and acquiring the small base station.

An apparatus for discovering and acquiring a small base station, comprising:

• a computing platform to access stored access information for a small base station, determine proximity to the small base station as a trigger condition to scanning and acquiring;
• wherein the computer platform is further configured to identify the small base station by receiving geographic information broadcast by the small base station, by identifying that the small base station is reporting a displaced geographic location from a stored geographic location, and by masking the received geographic information to a lower resolution;
• and
• a receiver to scan and acquire the small base station.

A method for discovering and acquiring a small base station, comprising:

• accessing, by a user equipment, stored access information for a small base station;
• determining proximity to the small base station as a trigger condition to scanning and acquiring;
• scanning and acquiring the small base station;
• and
• detecting and breaking a service selection loop to an alien small base station comprising avoiding scanning for the alien small base station for a period of time.