Patent ID: 8514819

Claim:
A handover control method for a mobile communication system having a plurality of base stations that communicate by way of radio communication with a mobile station, and a host station that controls the base stations and that switches the base station that communicates with the mobile station as the mobile station moves, comprising: starting to save data packets for the mobile station during handover by an origin base station that has communicated with the mobile station up to that time, as well as instructing the mobile station to switch communication to a destination base station, and further sending a request to the host station to switch the base station that communicates with the mobile station from the origin base station to the destination base station, as well as requesting the host station to save the data packets for the mobile station; when, in accordance to the switching request, it is possible for the host station to save the data packets, sending the origin base station information that shows that it is possible to switch the base station that communicates with the mobile station from the origin base station to the destination base station, as well as starting to save the data packets; transferring the data packets that have been saved up to that time from the origin base station to the host station after determining that the host station can save data packets; saving, by the host station, data packets for the mobile station, as well as saving data packets that are received from the origin base station; and sending the saved data packets from the host station to the mobile station via the destination base station when communication between the mobile station and the destination base station becomes possible.