Patent ID: 7035639

Claim:
A radio control apparatus for achieving diversity handover in accordance with a request, which is sent from a mobile station in communication with a first base station by use of a first communication link, for diversity handover with a second base station, said radio control apparatus comprising: managing means for managing an information rate table in which information about information rates of communication links securable in the second base station is stored; retrieving means for retrieving as a potential information rate a information rate not higher than an information rate of the first communication link, out of the information rates of the securable communication links from the information rate table on the occasion of receiving the request for diversity handover with the second base station from the mobile station; instructing means for instructing the first base station to change the first communication link to a second communication link communicable at the potential information rate when the potential information rate thus retrieved is lower than the information rate of the first communication link; and requesting means for requesting the second base station to perform communication with the mobile station by use of a third communication link communicable at the potential information rate.