One-handed remote-control device for aerial system

A method for operating an aerial system having a remote controller device and an unmanned aerial vehicle, the remote controller device including a controller device housing, an input device, a controller device sensor unit and an application processor. The input device coupled to the controller device housing and being configured to receive an input from a user, the controller device sensor unit being located within the controller device housing and configured to sense position and/or orientation of the remote controller device, the unmanned aerial vehicle including an aerial vehicle body, a lift mechanism coupled to aerial vehicle body, vehicle orientation sensors for sensing an orientation of the aerial vehicle body;

• and a processing system operatively coupled to the lift mechanism, the method including the steps of:
• receiving, by the application processor, an input from the user via the input device indicating a flight command requested by the user;
• determining, by the application processor, a current position and/or orientation of the remote controller device as a function of the sensed position and/or orientation of the remote controller device upon receiving the flight command from the user;
• sending, by the application processor, a flight command signal to the unmanned aerial system in response to receiving the input from the user via the user input device;
• receiving, by the processing system of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the flight command signal from the remote controller device;
• receiving, by the processing system of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the current position and/or orientation of the remote controller device from the remote controller device and responsively determining a desired orientation of the unmanned aerial vehicle as a function of the current position and/or orientation of the remote controller device;
• operating, by the processing system of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the lift mechanism to execute a flight operation based on the desired orientation of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the current position of the remote controller device.