Method and apparatus for small cell discovery and user equipment discovery

A method for small cell discovery and user equipment discovery, the method comprising:

• preparing, by circuitry of a base station, small cell information regarding small cell discovery;
• preparing, by the circuitry, user equipment information regarding user equipment discovery;
• determining, by the circuitry, whether the user equipment information depends on the small cell information, the user equipment information depending on the small cell information when the user equipment information does not include all parameters necessary for performance of standalone user equipment discovery without the small cell information;
• modifying, by the circuitry when the user equipment information depends on the small cell information, the user equipment information to include a link to the small cell information;
• and
• transmitting, by the circuitry, the small cell information and the user equipment information to a user equipment.

A user equipment for small cell discovery and user equipment discovery, the user equipment comprising:

• circuitry configured to:
• obtain small cell information regarding small cell discovery on a macro layer;
• obtain user equipment information regarding user equipment discovery;
• determine whether the user equipment information includes all first parameters necessary for performance of standalone user equipment discovery without the small cell information;
• building the first parameters for user equipment discovery, when the circuitry determines that the user equipment information does not include all of the first parameters necessary for the performance of standalone user equipment discovery, based on second parameters included in the small cell information, the second parameters being parameters for performance of the small cell discovery;
• initiate user equipment discovery based on the first parameters;
• and
• initiate small cell discovery based on the second parameters.

A base station for small cell discovery and user equipment discovery, the base station comprising:

• circuitry configured to:
• prepare small cell information regarding small cell discovery;
• prepare user equipment information regarding user equipment discovery;
• determine whether the user equipment information depends on the small cell information, the user equipment information depending on the small cell information when the user equipment information does not include all parameters necessary for performance of standalone user equipment discovery without the small cell information;
• modify, when the user equipment information depends on the small cell information, the user equipment information to include a link to the small cell information;
• and
• transmit the small cell information and the user equipment information to a user equipment.