Patent ID: 7664399

Claim:
An optical communication device for multiplexing optical signals for communication, comprising: a plurality of optical attenuator means for attenuating the optical signals of respective wavelengths in accordance with optical attenuation data; optical multiplexer means for multiplexing the optical signals; optical amplifier means for amplifying the multiplexed optical signal; control data output means for outputting optical signal control data based on differences between a set optical level and optical levels of the respective wavelengths input to the optical amplifier means; a plurality of data tables corresponding to different temperatures, each data table holding data for converting the optical signal control data to the optical attenuation data for use at a specific temperature so that optical attenuation amounts of the optical attenuator means are linearized with respect to the optical signal control data; temperature sensor means for detecting temperature; and control data converter means for converting the optical signal control data to the optical attenuation data by looking up one of the data tables that corresponds to the detected temperature and outputting the obtained data to the optical attenuator means.