Patent ID: 8109553

Claim:
A method for positioning a tailgate of a vehicle, the method comprising: selecting a vehicle comprising a tailgate connected to pivot through a range of motion bounded at one end by a first, closed position and at the other end by a second, open position, the second position being located more than ninety degrees of rotation from the first position; executing a first actuation to release the tailgate from the first position; pivoting, during the first actuation, the tailgate out of the first position; terminating the first actuation; moving, after the terminating and before another actuation, the tailgate through the range of motion from proximate the first position toward the second position; locking automatically, during the moving and upon reaching a third position, the tailgate against further movement toward the second position, the third position being contained within the range of motion and located about ninety degrees of rotation from the first position; executing a second actuation to release the locking; and lowering, after the second actuation, the tailgate to the second position.