Vehicle power tailgate having synchronized rear view camera

A pickup tailgate comprising:

• a closure body configured to rotate between a closed position and an open position at the rear end of a vehicle;
• a camera located in the closure body and configured to capture images rearward of the vehicle;
• a tailgate actuator comprising a first motor and comprising a tailgate motor configured to actuate the closure body between the closed position and the open position;
• a camera actuator comprising a second motor and comprising a camera motor configured to rotate the camera amongst a plurality of positions;
• and
• a controller configured to monitor a first position of the closure body and a second position of the camera and to control the tailgate actuator to control rotation of the closure body and to control the camera actuator to control rotation of the camera, wherein the controller generates a common control signal to the first and second motors to control the tailgate motor to rotate the tailgate and to control the camera motor to rotate the camera in sync with the rotation of the closure body, such that the camera maintains substantially a same field of view irrespective of a position of the tailgate.

A vehicle comprising:

• a vehicle body defining a pickup bed having a rear end;
• and
• a vehicle tailgate coupled to the rear end and comprising:
• a closure body configured to rotate between a closed position and an open position at the rear end of a vehicle;
• a camera located in the closure body and configured to capture images rearward of the vehicle;
• a tailgate actuator comprising a first motor and configured to rotate the closure body between the closed position and the open position;
• a camera actuator comprising a second motor and configured to rotate the camera amongst a plurality of positions;
• and
• a controller configured to control the tailgate actuator to rotate the closure body and to control the camera actuator to maintain the camera oriented in the same rearward imaging view throughout the rotational movement of the closure body, wherein the controller generates a common control signal to the first and second motors to control both the rotation of the closure body and the rotation of the camera to rotate in sync with each other, such that the camera maintains substantially a same field of view irrespective of a position of the tailgate.