Systems and methods for operating a power tailgate system

1. A system for operating a power tailgate system, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory communicably coupled to the one or more processors, the memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

identify a user input-based request to automatically open a tailgate when the tailgate is latched by a latch movable in a latching direction and in an unlatching direction, and connected with a latch actuator operable to disengage the latch, move the latch in the latching direction, and move the latch in the unlatching direction, and when the latch is in a full-latching position, activated by the latch actuator for non-revertible movement in the latching direction, whereby the latch is not movable in the unlatching direction past the full-latching position, and subject to deactivation by the latch actuator for movement in the unlatching direction, whereby the latch is movable in the unlatching direction; and

overload check the tailgate in response to the request to automatically open the tailgate, wherein overload checking the tailgate includes:

a) operating the latch actuator to over-stroke the latch, wherein over-stroking the latch includes moving the latch in the latching direction from the full-latching position to an over-stroking position;

b) identifying an over-stroking load on the latch actuator, the over-stroking load on the latch actuator associated with its operation to over-stroke the latch; and

c) based on the over-stroking load on the latch actuator, determining whether the tailgate is overloaded or not overloaded.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein over-stroking the latch includes moving the latch in the unlatching direction from the over-stroking position to the full-latching position.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

identifying the over-stroking load on the latch actuator includes:

identifying an over-stroking electrical energy drawn by the latch actuator, the over-stroking electrical energy drawn by the latch actuator associated with its operation to over-stroke the latch; and

determining whether the tailgate is overloaded or not overloaded includes:

comparing the over-stroking electrical energy drawn by the latch actuator to a threshold;

determining that the tailgate is overloaded when the over-stroking electrical energy drawn by the latch actuator meets the threshold; and

determining that the tailgate is not overloaded when the over-stroking electrical energy drawn by the latch actuator does not meet the threshold.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the over-stroking electrical energy drawn by the latch actuator is associated with its operation to move the latch in the latching direction from the full-latching position to the over-stroking position, and is an electrical energy drawn by the latch actuator during a predetermined time following the start of its operation to move the latch in the latching direction from the full-latching position to the over-stroking position.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory further stores instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

when the tailgate is overloaded:

operate the latch actuator to disengage the latch without deactivating the latch for movement in the unlatching direction; and

operate a user interface to issue an alert that the tailgate is overloaded.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory further stores instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

identify whether the request to automatically open the tailgate is remotely generated or non-remotely generated;

when the request to automatically open the tailgate is remotely generated:

overload check the tailgate; and

when the tailgate is not overloaded:

operate the latch actuator to deactivate the latch for movement in the unlatching direction; and

operate a tailgate actuator connected with the tailgate to open the tailgate; and

when the request to automatically open the tailgate is non-remotely generated:

operate the latch actuator to deactivate the latch for movement in the unlatching direction.

7. A method for operating a power tailgate system, the method comprising:

identifying a user input-based request to automatically open a tailgate when the tailgate is latched by a latch movable in a latching direction and in an unlatching direction, and connected with a latch actuator operable to disengage the latch, move the latch in the latching direction, and move the latch in the unlatching direction, and when the latch is in a full-latching position, activated by the latch actuator for non-revertible movement in the latching direction, whereby the latch is not movable in the unlatching direction past the full-latching position, and subject to deactivation by the latch actuator for movement in the unlatching direction, whereby the latch is movable in the unlatching direction; and

overload checking the tailgate in response to the request to automatically open the tailgate, wherein overload checking the tailgate includes:

a) operating the latch actuator to over-stroke the latch, wherein over-stroking the latch includes moving the latch in the latching direction from the full-latching position to an over-stroking position;

b) identifying an over-stroking load on the latch actuator, the over-stroking load on the latch actuator associated with its operation to over-stroke the latch; and

c) based on the over-stroking load on the latch actuator, determining whether the tailgate is overloaded or not overloaded.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein over-stroking the latch includes moving the latch in the unlatching direction from the over-stroking position to the full-latching position.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein:

identifying the over-stroking load on the latch actuator includes:

identifying an over-stroking electrical energy drawn by the latch actuator, the over-stroking electrical energy drawn by the latch actuator associated with its operation to over-stroke the latch; and

determining whether the tailgate is overloaded or not overloaded includes:

comparing the over-stroking electrical energy drawn by the latch actuator to a threshold;

determining that the tailgate is overloaded when the over-stroking electrical energy drawn by the latch actuator meets the threshold; and

determining that the tailgate is not overloaded when the over-stroking electrical energy drawn by the latch actuator does not meet the threshold.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the over-stroking electrical energy drawn by the latch actuator is associated with its operation to move the latch in the latching direction from the full-latching position to the over-stroking position, and is an electrical energy drawn by the latch actuator during a predetermined time following the start of its operation to move the latch in the latching direction from the full-latching position to the over-stroking position.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

when the tailgate is overloaded:

operating the latch actuator to disengage the latch without deactivating the latch for movement in the unlatching direction.

12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

when the tailgate is overloaded:

operating a user interface to issue an alert that the tailgate is overloaded.

13. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

when the tailgate is not overloaded:

operating the latch actuator to deactivate the latch for movement in the unlatching direction; and

operating a tailgate actuator connected with the tailgate to open the tailgate.

14. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

identifying whether the request to automatically open the tailgate is remotely generated or non-remotely generated;

when the request to automatically open the tailgate is remotely generated:

overload checking the tailgate; and

when the tailgate is not overloaded:

operating the latch actuator to deactivate the latch for movement in the unlatching direction; and

operating a tailgate actuator connected with the tailgate to open the tailgate; and

when the request to automatically open the tailgate is non-remotely generated:

operating the latch actuator to deactivate the latch for movement in the unlatching direction.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for operating a power tailgate system, the non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

identify a user input-based request to automatically open a tailgate when the tailgate is latched by a latch movable in a latching direction and in an unlatching direction, and connected with a latch actuator operable to disengage the latch, move the latch in the latching direction, and move the latch in the unlatching direction, and when the latch is in a full-latching position, activated by the latch actuator for non-revertible movement in the latching direction, whereby the latch is not movable in the unlatching direction past the full-latching position, and subject to deactivation by the latch actuator for movement in the unlatching direction, whereby the latch is movable in the unlatching direction; and

overload check the tailgate in response to the request to automatically open the tailgate, wherein overload checking the tailgate includes:

a) operating the latch actuator to over-stroke the latch, wherein over-stroking the latch includes moving the latch in the latching direction from the full-latching position to an over-stroking position;

b) identifying an over-stroking load on the latch actuator, the over-stroking load on the latch actuator associated with its operation to over-stroke the latch; and

c) based on the over-stroking load on the latch actuator, determining whether the tailgate is overloaded or not overloaded.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein over-stroking the latch includes moving the latch in the unlatching direction from the over-stroking position to the full-latching position.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein:

identifying the over-stroking load on the latch actuator includes:

identifying an over-stroking electrical energy drawn by the latch actuator, the over-stroking electrical energy drawn by the latch actuator associated with its operation to over-stroke the latch; and

determining whether the tailgate is overloaded or not overloaded includes:

comparing the over-stroking electrical energy drawn by the latch actuator to a threshold;

determining that the tailgate is overloaded when the over-stroking electrical energy drawn by the latch actuator meets the threshold; and

determining that the tailgate is not overloaded when the over-stroking electrical energy drawn by the latch actuator does not meet the threshold.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the over-stroking electrical energy drawn by the latch actuator is associated with its operation to move the latch in the latching direction from the full-latching position to the over-stroking position, and is an electrical energy drawn by the latch actuator during a predetermined time following the start of its operation to move the latch in the latching direction from the full-latching position to the over-stroking position.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , further including instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

when the tailgate is overloaded:

operate the latch actuator to disengage the latch without deactivating the latch for movement in the unlatching direction; and

operate a user interface to issue an alert that the tailgate is overloaded.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , further including instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

identify whether the request to automatically open the tailgate is remotely generated or non-remotely generated;

when the request to automatically open the tailgate is remotely generated:

overload check the tailgate; and

when the tailgate is not overloaded:

operate the latch actuator to deactivate the latch for movement in the unlatching direction; and

operate a tailgate actuator connected with the tailgate to open the tailgate; and

when the request to automatically open the tailgate is non-remotely generated:

operate the latch actuator to deactivate the latch for movement in the unlatching direction.