Patent ID: 7379775

Claim:
A method for using a single, combination voltage converter circuit configured to operate in any of a plurality of operating modes to perform multiple operating functions in an implantable medical device, the method comprising: (a) providing an electronic circuitry, including a coil, which electronic circuitry is incorporated in the implantable device; (b) providing a plurality of operating modes of the combination voltage converter circuit, including: (i) power receive or data receive, or power receive and data receive, using the coil, (ii) data transmit using the coil, (iii) voltage step up conversion using the coil, and (iv) voltage step down conversion using the coil; and (c) selecting one of the operating modes of the combination voltage converter circuit, (d) repeating the step (c) above as many times as necessary to provide a desired sequence of operating modes, thereby implementing each operating mode in a time-multiplexed scheme.