US Patent 7357435 Power tailgate anti-theft system

Disclosed herein an automotive vehicle anti-theft system for guarding against unauthorized opening of a door of the vehicle is provided, including means for selectively biasing the door of the vehicle toward a closed position, a sensor for detecting operation of the door, and a control module operably connected to the biasing means and the sensor. The control module is configured to cause the biasing means to exert a biasing force for urging the door of the vehicle toward the closed position upon receiving a signal from the sensor indicating an attempt to move the door away from the closed position toward the open position while the anti-theft system is activated.