User-relocatable self-learning environmental control device capable of adapting previous learnings to current location in controlled environment

1. A control system flexibly adapted for retrofit use with multiple types of pre-existing environmental systems, the control system comprising:

a control device for coupling to an environmental system;

a thermostat having a processor and a memory and being in wireless communication with the control device; and

a user-movable stand for holding the thermostat, wherein:

the control system is configured to learn a control schedule according to an automated schedule learning algorithm that processes inputs including user inputs and occupancy sensing inputs and derives schedule-affecting parameters therefrom that are processed to compute the control schedule;

the control system includes components for determining whether the thermostat has been moved to a new location and for determining one or more parameters associated with the new location; and

the control system:

determines whether each of the schedule-affecting parameters are location-dependent;

invalidates any of the schedule-affecting parameters that are location dependent;

processes new user inputs or new occupancy sensing inputs to derive new schedule-affecting parameters associated with the new location to replace any of the schedule-affecting parameters that were invalidated; and

establishes a new control schedule for the new location by re-using one or more of the schedule-affecting parameters that are not location-dependent in combination with one or more of the new schedule-affecting parameters associated with the new location.

2. The control system of claim 1 wherein the thermostat device receives an indication from a user through a user interface that the thermostat device has been moved to the new location.

3. The control system of claim 1 wherein the components for determining whether the thermostat device has been moved to the new location comprise an accelerometer.

4. The control system of claim 1 wherein the components for determining whether the thermostat device has been moved to the new location comprise a power sensing circuit for detecting a loss of power to the thermostat device.

5. The control system of claim 1 further comprising a server, wherein the at least a portion of operations performed by the control system are performed by the server.

6. The control system of claim 1 wherein the schedule-affecting parameters comprise a thermal characterization of a room or an enclosure.

7. The control system of claim 1 wherein the schedule-affecting parameters are used by the thermostat device to determine a time-to-temperature estimate between a measured ambient temperature and a received setpoint temperature.

8. A thermostat device flexibly adapted for relocation within an enclosure, the thermostat comprising:

a communication module configured to send control signals to a control device for selectively controlling an environmental system;

a user interface;

one or more environmental sensors; and

a processing system configured to:

learn a control schedule at a first location according to an automated schedule learning algorithm that processes inputs including user inputs and occupancy sensing inputs and derives schedule-affecting parameters therefrom that are processed to compute the control schedule;

determine whether the thermostat has been moved to a new location; and

if it is determined that the thermostat has been moved to the new location:

determine whether each of the schedule-affecting parameters are location-dependent;

invalidate any of the schedule-affecting parameters that are location dependent;

process new user inputs or new occupancy sensing inputs to derive new schedule-affecting parameters associated with the new location to replace any of the schedule-affecting parameters that were invalidated; and

establish a new control schedule for the new location by re-using one or more of the schedule-affecting parameters that are not location-dependent in combination with one or more of the new schedule-affecting parameters associated with the new location.

9. The thermostat device of claim 8 wherein the thermostat device receives an indication from a user through a user interface that the thermostat device has been moved to the new location.

10. The thermostat device of claim 8 wherein the thermostat further comprises components for determining whether the thermostat device has been moved to the new location comprising an accelerometer.

11. The thermostat device of claim 8 wherein the thermostat further comprises components for determining whether the thermostat device has been moved to the new location comprising a power sensing circuit for detecting a loss of power to the thermostat device.

12. The thermostat device of claim 8 wherein, prior to establishing the new control schedule for the new location, the thermostat device receives an indication from a user through a user interface directing the thermostat device to establish the new control schedule for the new location instead of continuing to use the control schedule.

13. The thermostat device of claim 8 wherein the schedule-affecting parameters comprise a thermal characterization of a room of the enclosure.

14. The thermostat device of claim 8 wherein the schedule-affecting parameters are used by the thermostat device to determine a time-to-temperature estimate between a measured ambient temperature and a received setpoint temperature.

15. A method of detecting and adapting to location changes within an enclosure by a control system, the method comprising:

learning, by the control system, a control schedule at a first location according to an automated schedule learning algorithm that processes inputs including user inputs and occupancy sensing inputs and derives schedule-affecting parameters therefrom that are processed to compute the control schedule;

sending, by a thermostat of the control system to a control device of the control system, signals for selectively controlling an environmental system based on the control schedule;

determining, by the control system, whether the thermostat has been moved to a new location;

if it is determined that the thermostat has been moved to the new location:

determining whether each of the schedule-affecting parameters are location-dependent;

invalidating any of the schedule-affecting parameters that are location dependent;

processing new user inputs or new occupancy sensing inputs to derive new schedule-affecting parameters associated with the new location to replace any of the schedule-affecting parameters that were invalidated;

establishing a new control schedule for the new location by re-using one or more of the schedule-affecting parameters that are not location-dependent in combination with one or more of the new schedule-affecting parameters associated with the new location; and

receiving signals at the control device for selectively controlling the activation of the environmental system based on the new control schedule.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising receiving, by the control system, an indication from a user through a user interface that the thermostat has been moved to the new location.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein components for determining whether the thermostat has been moved to a new location comprises an accelerometer.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the control system comprises the thermostat, the control device, and a server.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the one or more of the schedule-affecting parameters are re-used based on how similar the one or more parameters associated with the new location are to one or more parameters associated with a previous location.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the one or more of the schedule-affecting parameters comprise at least one parameter associated with sunlight exposure, self-heating characteristics, or a user profile.