Patent ID: 8521039
Filing Date: 2013-08-27
Classification: G02F,H04B,H04J

Abstract:
1. An optical communication apparatus comprising: an optical branching unit to branch input light into first and second branched input lights; an optical modulating unit to modulate the first branched input light in accordance with a modulation signal to be transmitted; an optical attenuating unit to attenuate the first branched input light; an optical detecting unit to detect a light intensity of the second branched input light; and an attenuating amount controlling unit to control the optical attenuating unit in accordance with the detected light intensity so that the optical attenuating unit attenuates the first branched input light when the detected light intensity becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined value, wherein the optical attenuating unit is positioned upstream of the optical modulating unit so that the optical modulating unit is between the optical attenuating unit and an output port, or the optical attenuating unit is positioned downstream of the optical modulating unit so that the optical attenuating unit is between the optical modulating unit and the output port.