Method and apparatus for signaling in dense network operations

1. A method of wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

receiving, at the UE, a very low duty cycle signal (LDCS) configuration for a first entity from a second entity, the first entity transmitting on a first frequency and the second entity transmitting on a second frequency;

monitoring, at the UE, for an LDCS from the first entity based on the received LDCS configuration; and

transmitting a Random Access Channel (RACH) message to the first entity based on a RACH configuration in relation to the LDCS after receiving the LDCS from the first entity, wherein the RACH configuration is included in at least one of a received LDCS from the first entity and the LDCS configuration received from the second entity.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second entity comprises a Macro cell.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the format of the LDCS comprises at least one of a special synchronization signal format, an enhanced cell-specific reference signal (CRS) format, a coded signal transmission format, a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) format, and a system information block (SIB) format.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the format of the LDCS comprises a system information block (SIB) format having a reduced amount of information, wherein the LDCS comprises at least one of SIB information and a global cell ID.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the format of the LDCS comprises an enhanced cell-specific reference signal (CRS) having a low duty cycle and spans any of five resource blocks (RB), 25 RB, and the entire system bandwidth.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the format of the LDCS comprises a coded signal transmission having a low re-use preamble comprising encoded information of at least a global cell ID.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the LDCS configuration is comprised in at least one of a primary synchronization signal (PSS) transmission, a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) transmission, a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) transmission, a system information block (SIB) transmission, and a master information block (MIB) transmission from the second entity.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE monitors for the LDCS during at least one of an idle mode in order to perform cell reselection and an active mode in order to perform a possible data connection through the first entity.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

receiving LDCS configurations for a plurality of entities, wherein the UE monitors for a plurality of LDCSs from the plurality of entities based on the received LDCS configurations; and

when the UE determines a need to connect to an entity, selecting one of the entities among the plurality of entities based on at least one of a largest received power among the monitored LDCSs and a smallest path loss among the monitored LDCSs.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving a transmit power for the plurality of entities from the second entity, wherein the transmit power for each of the entities is comprised in the received LDCS configuration for the corresponding entity; and

determining a path loss for each of the plurality of entities based at least in part on the received transmit power for the corresponding entity.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein each LDCS comprises a transmit power for the corresponding entity, the method further comprising:

determining a path loss for each of the plurality of entities based at least in part on the received transmit power for the corresponding entity.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the RACH message is transmitted to the first entity using an RACH configuration linked to the first entity after receiving the LDCS from the first entity, wherein the RACH configuration is comprised in at least one of the LDCS received from the first entity and the LDCS configuration received from the second entity.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving an LDCS from a plurality of entities, based on the received LDCS configurations from the second entity, wherein the LDCS for each of the plurality of entities comprises at least one of backhaul quality information and loading capability information for the corresponding entity.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

determining a buffer status at the UE; and

determining whether to access any of the plurality of entities based on at least one of the received backhaul quality information and the loading capability information for the corresponding entity in combination with the determined buffer status of the UE.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

determining whether to access any of the plurality of entities based on any of the received backhaul quality information, the received loading capability information, a received signal strength, and a path loss for the corresponding entity.

16. A method of wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

receiving, at the UE, a plurality of very low duty cycle signal (LDCS) configurations for a plurality of entities from a second entity, the plurality of entities transmitting on a first set of frequencies and the second entity transmitting on a second frequency;

monitoring, at the UE, for a plurality of LDC Ss from the plurality of entities based on the received LDCS configurations, wherein the UE monitors for the LDC Ss during at least on of an idle mode in order to perform cell reselection and an active mode in order to perform a possible data connection through the plurality of entities; and

when the UE determines a need to connect to an entity, selecting one entity among the plurality of entities based on a smallest path loss among the monitored LDCSs.

17. An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

means for receiving, at the UE, a very low duty cycle signal (LDCS) configuration for a first entity from a second entity, the first entity transmitting on a first frequency and the second entity transmitting on a second frequency;

means for monitoring, at the UE, for an LDCS from the first entity based on the received LDCS configuration; and

means for transmitting a Random Access Channel (RACH) message to the first entity based on a RACH configuration in relation to the LDCS after receiving the LDCS from the first entity, wherein the RACH configuration is included in at least one of a received LDCS from the first entity and the LDCS configuration received from the second entity.

18. An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

means for receiving, at the UE, a plurality of very low duty cycle signal (LDCS) configurations for a plurality of entities from a second entity, the plurality of entities transmitting on a first set of frequencies and the second entity transmitting on a second frequency;

means for monitoring, at the UE, for a plurality of LDCSs from the plurality of entities based on the received LDCS configurations, wherein the apparatus monitors for the LDC Ss during at least one of an idle mode in order to perform cell reselection and an active mode in order to perform a possible data connection through the plurality of entities; and

means for selecting one entity among the plurality of entities based on a smallest path loss among the monitored LDCSs.

19. An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to:

receive, at the UE, a very low duty cycle signal (LDCS) configuration for a first entity from a second entity, the first entity transmitting on a first frequency and the second entity transmitting on a second frequency;

monitor, at the UE, for an LDCS from the first entity based on the received LDCS configuration; and

transmit a Random Access Channel (RACH) message to the first entity based on a RACH configuration in relation to the LDCS after receiving the LDCS from the first entity, wherein the RACH configuration is included in at least one of a received LDCS from the first entity and the LDCS configuration received from the second entity.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the second entity comprises a Macro cell.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the format of the LDCS comprises at least one of a special synchronization signal format, an enhanced cell-specific reference signal (CRS) format, a coded signal transmission format, a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) format, and a system information block (SIB) format.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the format of the LDCS comprises a system information block (SIB) format having a reduced amount of information, wherein the LDCS comprises at least one of SIB information and a global cell ID.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the format of the LDCS comprises an enhanced cell-specific reference signal (CRS) having a low duty cycle and spans any of five resource blocks (RB), 25 RB, and the entire system bandwidth.

24. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the format of the LDCS comprises a coded signal transmission having a low re-use preamble comprising encoded information of at least a global cell ID.

25. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the LDCS configuration is comprised in at least one of a primary synchronization signal (PSS) transmission, a secondary synchronization signal (SS S) transmission, a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) transmission, a system information block (SIB) transmission, and a master information block (MD3) transmission from the second entity.

26. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the apparatus monitors for the LDCS during at least one of an idle mode in order to perform cell reselection and an active mode in order to perform a possible data connection through the first entity.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the processing system is further configured to:

receive LDCS configurations for a plurality of entities, wherein the apparatus monitors for a plurality of LDCSs from the plurality of entities based on the received LDCS configurations; and

when the apparatus determines a need to connect to an entity, select one entity among the plurality of entities based on at least one of a largest received power among the monitored LDCSs and a smallest path loss among the monitored LDCSs.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the processing system is further configured to:

receive a transmit power for the plurality of entities from the second entity, wherein the transmit power for each of the entities is comprised in the received LDCS configuration for the corresponding entity; and

determine a path loss for each of the plurality of entities based at least in part on the received transmit power for the corresponding entity.

29. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein each LDCS comprises a transmit power for the corresponding entity, and wherein the processing system is further configured to:

determine a path loss for each of the plurality of entities based at least in part on the received transmit power for the corresponding entity.

30. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the RACH message is transmitted to the first entity using an RACH configuration linked to the first entity after receiving the LDCS from the first entity, wherein the RACH configuration is comprised in at least one of the LDCS received from the first entity and the LDCS configuration received from the second entity.

31. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the processing system is further configured to:

receive an LDCS from a plurality of entities based on the received LDCS configurations from the second entity, wherein the LDCS for each of the entities comprises at least one of backhaul quality information and loading capability information for the corresponding entity.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein the processing system is further configured to:

determine a buffer status at the apparatus; and

determine whether to access any of the plurality of entities based on at least one of the received backhaul quality information and the loading capability information for the corresponding entity in combination with the determined buffer status of the apparatus.

33. The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein the processing system is further configured to:

determine whether to access any of the plurality of entities based on any of the received backhaul quality information, the received loading capability information, a received signal strength, and a path loss for the corresponding entity.

34. An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to:

receive, at the UE, a plurality of very low duty cycle signal (LDCS) configurations for a plurality of entities from a second entity, the plurality of entities transmitting on a first set of frequencies and the second entity transmitting on a second frequency;

monitor, at the UE, for a plurality of LDCSs from the plurality of entities based on the received LDCS configurations, wherein the apparatus monitors for the LDCSs during at least one of an idle mode in order to perform cell reselection and an active mode in order to perform a possible data connection through the plurality of entities;

when the apparatus determines a need to connect to an entity, select one entity among the plurality of entities based on a smallest path loss among the monitored LDCSs.

35. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer executable code for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising code for:

receiving, at the UE, a very low duty cycle signal (LDCS) configuration for a first entity from a second entity, the first entity transmitting on a first frequency and the second entity transmitting on a second frequency;

monitoring, at the UE, for an LDCS from the first entity based on the received LDCS configuration; and

transmitting a Random Access Channel (RACH) message to the first entity based on a RACH configuration in relation to the LDCS after receiving the LDCS from the first entity, wherein the RACH configuration is included in at least one of a received LDCS from the first entity and the LDCS configuration received from the second entity.

36. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer executable code for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising code for:

receiving, at the UE, a plurality of very low duty cycle signal (LDCS) configurations for a plurality of entities from a second entity, the plurality of entities transmitting on a first set of frequencies and the second entity transmitting on a second frequency;

monitoring, at the UE, for a plurality of LDC Ss from the plurality of entities based on the received LDCS configurations , wherein the UE monitors for the LDCSs during at least one of an idle mode in order to perform cell reselection and an active mode in order to perform a possible data connection through the plurality of entities; and

when the UE determines a need to connect to an entity, selecting one entity among the plurality of entities based on a smallest path loss among the monitored LDCSs.