# US 2023/0053339 A1 · Blocking the establishment of connections based on analyzing link failures of access point equipment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0053339 A1 - Document ID: US20230053339A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/407,359 - Filed: 2021-08-20 - Published: 2023-02-23 - Earliest claimed: 2021-08-20 - Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.; AT&T Technical Services Company, Inc. - Applicants: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.; AT&T Technical Services Company, Inc. - Inventors: Daniel Vivanco; David Ross Beppler; Slawomir Stawiarski - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230053339A1 ## CPC - H04W 76/18: Management of setup rejection or failure - H04W 76/19: Connection re-establishment - H04W 4/021: Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences - H04W 24/04: Arrangements for maintaining operational condition - H04W 36/00698: {using different RATs} - H04W 76/15: Setup of multiple wireless link connections - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract The technologies described herein are generally directed to handling communication link failures in a fifth generation (5G) network or other next generation networks. For example, a method described herein can include determining that a first connection by a first user equipment to a network access point failed, resulting in a determined connection failure, with the network access point enabling respective access to services enabled via a communication network. The method can further include, based on a result of an analysis of the determined connection failure, identifying, by the network equipment, a geographic area associated with the determined connection failure. Further, based on measurements collected within the geographic area, designating, in a data store by the network equipment, the geographic area as a blocked geographic area. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: determining, by network equipment comprising a processor, that a first connection by a first user equipment to a network access point failed, resulting in a determined connection failure, wherein the network access point enables respective access to services enabled via a communication network; based on a result of an analysis of the determined connection failure, identifying, by the network equipment, a geographic area associated with the determined connection failure; and based on measurements collected within the geographic area, designating, in a data store by the network equipment, the geographic area as a blocked geographic area. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first user equipment comprises a capability for dual connectivity, wherein, before the first connection failed, the first user equipment established a primary connection to use the services enabled via the communication network, and wherein the first connection comprises a secondary connection to use the services enabled via the communication network, that was established in accordance with a dual connectivity protocol. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the primary connection and the secondary connection are established via different radio access technologies, and wherein the blocked geographic area is designated in the data store as blocked for a first radio access technology of the secondary connection, and as not blocked for a second radio access technology of the primary connection. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein a millimeter wave signal was used to establish the secondary connection. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein a long term evolution signal protocol was used to establish the primary connection. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein, in accordance with the dual connectivity protocol: establishment of the primary connection was facilitated by a master base station, and the network access point comprises a secondary base station, at a lower hierarchical level than the master base station, usable to facilitate establishment of the secondary connection. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising, based on a report of a connection candidate for another secondary connection from a second user equipment connected to the master base station: determining, by the network equipment, that the second user equipment is located in the blocked geographic area; and based on the determining that the second user equipment is located in the blocked geographic area, instructing, by the network equipment, the master base station to reject the connection candidate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein instructing the master base station to reject the connection candidate comprises instructing the master base station to reject the connection candidate until the second user equipment is determined to have moved outside of the blocked geographic area. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein determining that the second user equipment is located in the blocked geographic area is based on location information obtained from a satellite associated with a satellite geolocation technology. ### Claim 10 A user equipment located in a first geographic location, comprising: a processor; and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising: in accordance with a dual connectivity protocol, establishing a primary connection to first network equipment to use services enabled via a communication network, communicating, to network equipment, that second network equipment is a candidate for a secondary connection to use the services enabled via the communication network, and determining that the network equipment has not approved the candidate for the secondary connection, wherein the network equipment did not approve the candidate based on the first geographic location being determined to be within a blocked geographic area, and wherein the blocked geographic area was characterized based on an analysis of connection failures within the blocked geographic area. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The user equipment of claim 10, wherein the user equipment moves from the first geographic location to a second geographic location outside of the blocked geographic area, and wherein the instructions further comprise, receiving, from the network equipment, an indication that the candidate for the secondary connection has been approved, and wherein approval of the secondary connection is based on the moving outside of the blocked geographic area. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The user equipment of claim 10, wherein the primary connection and the secondary connection are established via different radio access technologies, and wherein the blocked geographic area is characterized as blocked for a first radio access technology of the secondary connection, and characterized as not blocked for a second radio access technology of the primary connection. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The user equipment of claim 10, wherein a millimeter wave signal was used to establish the secondary connection. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The user equipment of claim 10, wherein a long term evolution signal protocol was used to establish the primary connection. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The user equipment of claim 10, wherein, in accordance with the dual connectivity protocol: establishment of the primary connection was facilitated by a master base station, and the access point comprises a secondary base station, at a lower hierarchical level than the master base station, capable of facilitating establishment of the secondary connection. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The user equipment of claim 10, wherein the network equipment comprises a radio access network intelligent controller. ### Claim 17 A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of network equipment, facilitate performance of operations, comprising: determining that a first connection by a user equipment to base station equipment was not able to be established, resulting in a determined connection failure, wherein the access point enables respective access to services enabled via a communication network; based on a result of analysis of the determined connection failure, determining a geographic area associated with the determined connection failure; and based on measurements collected within the geographic area, categorizing the geographic area as a blocked geographic area. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the user equipment comprises a capability for dual connectivity, wherein, before the first connection failed, the user equipment established a primary connection to use the services enabled via the communication network, and wherein the first connection comprises a secondary connection to use the services enabled via the communication network, that was established in accordance with the capability for dual connectivity. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the primary connection is established based on a long term evolution radio access technology, and the secondary connection was to be established via a millimeter wave signal, and wherein the blocked geographic area is categorized blocked for a first radio access technology of the secondary connection, and categorized not blocked for a second radio access technology of the primary connection. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein, in accordance with a dual connectivity protocol: establishment of the primary connection was facilitated by primary base station equipment, and the base station equipment comprises secondary base station equipment, at a lower hierarchical level than the primary base station equipment, configured to facilitate establishment of the secondary connection.