Patent ID: 8679017

Claim:
A biological information measurement apparatus comprising: an ultrasound applying unit configured to apply ultrasound to a living body; an electromagnetic wave applying unit configured to apply, to a living body, a first electromagnetic wave and a second electromagnetic wave having a frequency different from a frequency of the first electromagnetic wave, while the ultrasound is being applied to the living body; a reflected wave receiver configured to receive a first reflected wave corresponding to the first electromagnetic wave and a second reflected wave corresponding to the second electromagnetic wave; a correlation value calculating unit configured to calculate a correlation value between the first and second reflected waves; a correlation value evaluating unit configured to determine whether the correlation value satisfies a given condition; a biological information measuring unit configured to measure biological information based on at least one of the first and second reflected waves when the correlation value evaluating unit determines that the correlation value satisfies the given condition; and a calculation count checking unit configured to count correlation value calculations performed by the correlation value calculating unit and determine whether a calculation count is greater than a given calculation count threshold, wherein the electromagnetic wave applying unit continuously changes a frequency applied to a subject by applying an output signal having a different frequency from a signal previously applied until the correlation value between the first and second reflected waves exceeds a correlation value threshold, the correlation value calculating unit calculates the correlation value and stores, in a correlation value storage unit, the calculated correlation value and frequencies of the two electromagnetic waves corresponding to the calculated correlation value, the ultrasound applying unit changes a frequency of ultrasound to be applied to the living body when the calculation count checking unit determines that the calculation count is greater than the calculation count threshold, and wherein the electromagnetic wave applying unit obtains frequencies corresponding to the highest correlation value from the correlation value storage unit and applies two electromagnetic waves having the obtained frequencies to the living body when the calculation count checking unit determines that the calculation count is greater than the calculation count threshold.