Small cell demodulation reference signal and initial synchronization

1. A first network element comprising:

a first processor configured to promote:

transmitting a first physical resource block (PRB) pair comprising a first reference signal pattern to support a number of layers; and

transmitting a second PRB pair comprising a second reference signal pattern to support the same number of layers, wherein the first reference signal pattern is a subset of the second reference signal pattern,

wherein the first PRB pair is transmitted to a user equipment (UE), and wherein the first processor is further configured to promote:

transmitting a third PRB pair comprising a third reference signal pattern to the UE and a fourth PRB pair comprising a fourth reference signal pattern to the UE, wherein the first reference signal pattern is associated with the first PRB pair based on a pre-defined association relation, the third reference signal pattern is associated with the third PRB pair based on the pre-defined association relation, and the fourth reference signal pattern is associated with the fourth PRB pair based upon the pre-defined association relation, and wherein the first, third, and fourth reference signal patterns vary in at least one of the following:

time domain; or

frequency domain.

2. The first network element of claim 1 , wherein the first reference signal pattern comprises fewer reference signals than the second reference signal pattern in one or more of:

a time domain; or

a frequency domain.

3. The first network element of claim 1 , wherein the subset is shifted in one or more of:

a time domain; or

a frequency domain.

4. The first network element of claim 1 , wherein the first reference signal pattern comprises multiple reference signals for multiple reference signal ports, wherein the reference signals are multiplexed using at least one of:

code division multiplexing in time domain;

code division multiplexing in frequency domain;

frequency division multiplexing; or

time division multiplexing.

5. The first network element of claim 1 , wherein the second reference signal pattern is transmitted in a fifth PRB pair by a second network element.

6. The first network element of claim 5 , wherein a coverage area of the first network element is smaller than a coverage area of the second network element.

7. The first network element of claim 1 , wherein the first reference signal pattern is determined using one of the following:

dynamic configuration;

semi-static configuration; or

implicit configuration.

8. The first network element of claim 1 , wherein the first PRB pair, the third PRB pair, and the fourth PRB pair are consecutive in frequency domain, and the first processor is configured to promote applying a same precoding to the first PRB pair, the third PRB pair, and the fourth PRB pair.

9. The first network element of claim 1 , wherein the first reference signal pattern comprises reference signals for a first set of reference signal ports, and wherein the reference signal for the first set of reference signal ports is orthogonal to at least one of:

a reference signal for a second set of reference signal ports transmitted by a second network element; or

a reference signal for a third set of reference signal ports transmitted by a third network element.

10. The first network element of claim 1 , wherein the first reference signal pattern is at least partially orthogonal to at least one of:

a fifth reference signal pattern transmitted by a second network element; or

a sixth reference signal pattern transmitted by a third network element.

11. The first network element of claim 10 , wherein the first reference signal pattern is selected based upon a first identifier associated with the first network element, and wherein the fifth reference signal pattern is selected based upon a second identifier associated with the second network element.

12. The first network element of claim 1 , wherein a quantity of cell-specific reference signal (CRS) ports transmitted is no more than two.

13. The first network element of claim 1 , wherein the first reference signal pattern is selected based upon a transmission mode.

14. The first network element of claim 1 , wherein the second reference signal pattern is a third generation partnership project (3GPP) long term evolution (LTE) transmission mode 9 (TM9) reference signal pattern.

15. A user equipment (UE) comprising a processor configured to promote:

receiving a first physical resource block (PRB) pair comprising a first reference signal pattern from a first network element, wherein the first reference signal pattern supports a number of layers; and

receiving a second PRB pair comprising a second reference signal pattern from the first network element, and wherein the second reference signal pattern supports the same number of layers and the first reference signal pattern is a subset of the second reference signal pattern,

wherein the UE is configured to receive a third PRB pair and a fourth PRB pair from the first network element, wherein the first PRB pair, the third PRB pair, and the fourth PRB pair are consecutive PRB pairs in frequency.

16. The UE of claim 15 , wherein the first reference signal pattern comprises fewer reference signals than the second reference signal pattern in one or more of:

a time domain; or

a frequency domain.

17. The UE of claim 15 , wherein the subset is shifted in one or more of:

a time domain; or

a frequency domain.

18. The UE of claim 15 , wherein a quantity of cell-specific reference signal (CRS) ports received from the first network element is no more than two.

19. The UE of claim 15 , wherein the first reference signal pattern is determined using one of:

dynamic configuration;

semi-static configuration; or

implicit configuration.

20. The UE of claim 15 , wherein the UE is further configured to:

determine a same precoding is applied to the first PRB pair, the third PRB pair, and the fourth PRB pair; and

determine, using a predetermined association relation:

the first reference signal pattern is transmitted in the first PRB pair;

a third reference signal pattern is transmitted in the third PRB pair; and

a fourth reference signal pattern is transmitted in the fourth PRB pair, wherein the first reference signal pattern, the second reference signal pattern, and the third reference signal pattern are different.

21. A user equipment (UE) comprising a processor configured to promote:

receiving a first physical resource block (PRB) pair comprising a first reference signal pattern from a first network element, wherein the first reference signal pattern supports a number of layers;

receiving a second PRB pair comprising a second reference signal pattern from the first network element, and wherein the second reference signal pattern supports the same number of layers and the first reference signal pattern is a subset of the second reference signal pattern;

receiving reference signals of a first set of reference signal ports from the first network element;

receiving reference signals of a third set of reference signal ports from a third network element; and

receiving reference signals of a fourth set of reference signal ports from a fourth network element, wherein reference signals of at least two sets of reference signal ports are orthogonal to each other.

22. A user equipment (UE) comprising a processor configured to promote:

receiving a first physical resource block (PRB) pair comprising a first reference signal pattern from a first network element, wherein the first reference signal pattern supports a number of layers;

receiving a second PRB pair comprising a second reference signal pattern from the first network element, and wherein the second reference signal pattern supports the same number of layers and the first reference signal pattern is a subset of the second reference signal pattern;

receiving a third reference signal pattern from a third network element; and

receiving a fourth reference signal pattern from a fourth network element, wherein reference signals of at least two of the reference signal patterns are at least partially orthogonal to each other, wherein the UE determines the reference signal pattern based on an identifier of each of the network elements.