Method and apparatus for providing detection of a compatible network

Abstract

An approach is provided for searching and detecting cells. System synchronization sequences are detected. An information block on a control channel of one of a plurality of networks is decoded, in response to the detected synchronization sequences. The synchronization sequences are independent of the networks. The information block includes a system indicator specifying release version of the network.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 determining a compatibility class that is supported within a cell; and   setting a release tag based on the determined compatibility class for detection of a cell among a plurality of cells corresponding to heterogeneous systems.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein detection of the cell comprises detecting a cell supporting a compatibility class among the plurality of cells corresponding to heterogeneous systems. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein the cell supporting the compatibility class comprises at least one of the synchronization structure, the synchronization sequences, the Primary Broadcast Channel (P-BCH) symbol mapping and its decoding structure that are compatible. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the release tag includes at least one of a standard, a standard release version or a system revision number. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating a control message including the system indicator to specify compatibility information for transmission to the user equipment   
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 transmitting the control message to a user equipment over a control channel within the cell.   
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein detection of the cell is performed in a single search-round using the release tag. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus, comprising:
 at least one processor;   at least one memory including computer program code;   wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform:   determining a compatibility class that is supported within a cell; and   setting a release tag based on the determined compatibility class for detection of a cell among a plurality of cells corresponding to heterogeneous systems.   
     
     
         9 . An apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the release tag includes at least one of a standard, a standard release version or a system revision number. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor and memory are further configured to generate a control message including the system indicator to specify compatibility information for transmission to the user equipment over a synchronization channel. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor and at least one memory are further configured to transmit the control message to a user equipment over a control channel within the cell. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein detection of the cell is performed in a single search-round using the release tag. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein detection of the cell comprises detecting a cell supporting a compatibility class among the plurality of cells corresponding to heterogeneous systems. 
     
     
         14 . An apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the cell supporting the compatibility class comprises at least one of the synchronization structure, the synchronization sequences, the Primary Broadcast Channel (P-BCH) symbol mapping and its decoding structure that are compatible. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the apparatus includes a base station. 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 determine a compatibility class that is supported within a cell; and   set a release tag based on the determined compatibility class for detection of a cell among a plurality of cells corresponding to heterogeneous systems.   
     
     
         17 . A computer non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to  claim 16 , wherein the one or more instructions cause the one or more processors to generate a control message including a system indicator for transmission to a user equipment. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to  claim 17 , wherein the one or more instructions cause the one or more processors to transmit the control message to the user equipment over a control channel within the cell.