Methods and apparatus for cell scanning in system with large number of antennas

1. A method for scanning cells by a mobile station in a wireless network, wherein the mobile station comprises a plurality of radio frequency (RF) chains, the method comprising:

scanning for one or more neighboring base station cells in a same frequency band as a serving base station cell using one or more receive beams,

wherein the one or more receive beams used for scanning are different than receive beams used for data communication with the serving base station cell; and

using at least one first RF chain for data communication with the serving base station cell and using at least one second RF chain for scanning the one or more neighboring base station cells, wherein the data communication and the cell scanning are concurrent.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting, to the serving base station, information regarding which receive beams are to be used to scan the one or more neighboring base station cells, the information comprising at least one of: a number of the receive beams to be used to scan, a time that the mobile station needs to scan for base station transmit beams in all directions that the base station is configured, and a minimum time period that the mobile station needs to scan for a base station transmit beams in all directions that the base station is configured; and

receiving, from the serving base station, configuration information associated with the scanning, the configuration information comprising at least one of: a time interval pattern, a time interval length, and a number of receive beams to be used for scanning.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless network is an asynchronous network in which the serving base station and the one or more neighboring base stations are not synchronized, the method further comprising at least one of:

scanning the one or more neighboring base station cells in a spatial region where the data communication with the serving base station is ongoing, and

steering one or more receive beams away from data communication with the serving base station cell in order to scan the one or more neighboring base station cells.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:

using a first codebook for data communication, and when the mobile station tunes away for cell scanning, using a second codebook for data communication; and

using a first set of codewords for data communication, and when the mobile station tunes away for cell scanning, using a second set of codewords for data communication, wherein the two sets of codewords are not disjoint.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first RF chain is selected for data communication based on a relatively good channel quality and the at least one second RF chain is selected for scanning based on a relatively bad channel quality.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from the serving base station, information regarding a change of at least one of: the configuration of the feedback of channel quality indicator, and the configuration of transmission mode prior to the reconfiguration of the neighboring cell scanning and data communication with the serving base station being effective.

7. An apparatus for use in a mobile station configured to scan cells in a wireless network, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of radio frequency (RF) chains;

a processor configured to:

scan for one or more neighboring base station cells in a same frequency band as a serving base station cell using one or more receive beams, wherein the one or more receive beams used for scanning are different than receive beams used for data communication with the serving base station cell, and

use at least one first RF chain for data communication with the serving base station cell and use at least one second RF chain for scanning the one or more neighboring base station cells, wherein the data communication and the cell scanning are concurrent.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , the processor further configured to:

transmit, to the serving base station, information regarding which receive beams are to be used to scan the one or more neighboring base station cells, the information comprising at least one of: a number of the receive beams to be used to scan, a time that the mobile station needs to scan for base station transmit beams in all directions that the base station is configured, and a minimum time period that the mobile station needs to scan for a base station transmit beams in all directions that the base station is configured; and

receive, from the serving base station, configuration information associated with the scanning, the configuration information comprising at least one of: a time interval pattern, a time interval length, and a number of receive beams to be used for scanning.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the wireless network is an asynchronous network in which the serving base station and the one or more neighboring base stations are not synchronized, the processor further configured to at least one of:

scan the one or more neighboring base station cells in a spatial region where the data communication with the serving base station is ongoing, and

steer one or more receive beams away from data communication with the serving base station cell in order to scan the one or more neighboring base station cells.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to at least one of:

use a first codebook for data communication, and when the mobile station tunes away for cell scanning, use a second codebook for data communication; and

use a first set of codewords for data communication, and when the mobile station tunes away for cell scanning, use a second set of codewords for data communication, wherein the two sets of codewords are not disjoint.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one first RF chain is selected for data communication based on a relatively good channel quality and the at least one second RF chain is selected for scanning based on a relatively bad channel quality.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , the processor further configured to:

receive, from the serving base station, information regarding a change of at least one of: the configuration of the feedback of channel quality indicator, and the configuration of transmission mode prior to the reconfiguration of the neighboring cell scanning and data communication with the serving base station being effective.

13. A method for a serving base station to configure a mobile station to scan cells in a wireless network, wherein the mobile station comprises a plurality of radio frequency (RF) chains, the method comprising:

configuring the mobile station to scan for one or more neighboring base station cells in a same frequency band as a serving base station cell using one or more receive beams,

wherein the one or more receive beams used for scanning are different than receive beams used for data communication with the serving base station cell

configuring the mobile station to use at least one first RF chain for data communication with the serving base station cell and use at least one second RF chain for scanning the one or more neighboring base station cells, wherein the data communication and the cell scanning are concurrent.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

receiving, from the mobile station, information regarding which receive beams are to be used to scan the one or more neighboring base station cells, the information comprising at least one of: a number of the receive beams to be used to scan, a time that the mobile station needs to scan for base station transmit beams in all directions that the base station is configured, and a minimum time period that the mobile station needs to scan for a base station transmit beams in all directions that the base station is configured; and

transmitting, to the mobile station, configuration information associated with the scanning, the configuration information comprising at least one of: a time interval pattern, a time interval length, and a number of receive beams to be used for scanning.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the wireless network is an asynchronous network in which the serving base station and the one or more neighboring base stations are not synchronized, the method further comprising at least one of:

configuring the mobile station to scan the one or more neighboring base station cells in a spatial region where the data communication with the serving base station is ongoing, and

configuring the mobile station to steer one or more receive beams away from data communication with the serving base station cell in order to scan the one or more neighboring base station cells.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising at least one of:

configuring the mobile station to use a first codebook for data communication, and when the mobile station tunes away for cell scanning, use a second codebook for data communication; and

configuring the mobile station to use a first set of codewords for data communication, and when the mobile station tunes away for cell scanning, use a second set of codewords for data communication, wherein the two sets of codewords are not disjoint.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one first RF chain is selected for data communication based on a relatively good channel quality and the at least one second RF chain is selected for scanning based on a relatively bad channel quality.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

transmitting, to the mobile station, information regarding a change of at least one of: the configuration of the feedback of channel quality indicator, and the configuration of transmission mode prior to the reconfiguration of the neighboring cell scanning and data communication with the serving base station being effective.

19. An apparatus for use in a serving base station to configure a mobile station to scan cells in a wireless network, wherein the mobile station comprises a plurality of radio frequency (RF) chains, the apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to:

configure the mobile station to scan for one or more neighboring base station cells in a same frequency band as a serving base station cell using one or more receive beams, wherein the one or more receive beams used for scanning are different than receive beams used for data communication with the serving base station cell, and

configure the mobile station to use at least one first RF chain for data communication with the serving base station cell and use at least one second RF chain for scanning the one or more neighboring base station cells, wherein the data communication and the cell scanning are concurrent.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , the processor further configured to:

receive, from the mobile station, information regarding which receive beams are to be used to scan the one or more neighboring base station cells, the information comprising at least one of: a number of the receive beams to be used to scan, a time that the mobile station needs to scan for base station transmit beams in all directions that the base station is configured, and a minimum time period that the mobile station needs to scan for a base station transmit beams in all directions that the base station is configured; and

transmit, to the mobile station, configuration information associated with the scanning, the configuration information comprising at least one of: a time interval pattern, a time interval length, and a number of receive beams to be used for scanning.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the wireless network is an asynchronous network in which the serving base station and the one or more neighboring base stations are not synchronized, the processor further configured to at least one of:

configure the mobile station to scan the one or more neighboring base station cells in a spatial region where the data communication with the serving base station is ongoing, and

configure the mobile station to steer one or more receive beams away from data communication with the serving base station cell in order to scan the one or more neighboring base station cells.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the processor is further configured to at least one of:

configure the mobile station to use a first codebook for data communication, and when the mobile station tunes away for cell scanning, use a second codebook for data communication; and

configure the mobile station to use a first set of codewords for data communication, and when the mobile station tunes away for cell scanning, use a second set of codewords for data communication, wherein the two sets of codewords are not disjoint.

23. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the at least one first RF chain is selected for data communication based on a relatively good channel quality and the at least one second RF chain is selected for scanning based on a relatively bad channel quality.

24. The apparatus of claim 19 , the processor further configured to:

transmit, to the mobile station, information regarding a change of at least one of: the configuration of the feedback of channel quality indicator, and the configuration of transmission mode prior to the reconfiguration of the neighboring cell scanning and data communication with the serving base station being effective.