Detecting time zones using historical date sampling

1. A method of determining a time zone, comprising:

receiving, at a client computer system, a table comprising mappings of key values to time zone identifiers, the table being received from a server, wherein the key values mapped to the time zone identifiers in the table comprise, as keys, hash values computed using a set of time offsets for each of the time zones associated with the server;

determining, by the client computer system, a set of time offsets according to an offset between a system time and a reference time for each of a plurality of sample points, wherein the plurality of sample points comprise different date/time values;

concatenating a plurality of time offsets included in the set of time offsets;

computing a hash value of the concatenated plurality of time offsets;

using the hash value as a key to look up, in the table, a time zone identifier associated with the client computer system; and

communicating, by the client computer system, the time zone identifier associated with the client computer system to the server.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining at the server a corresponding set of time offsets for each of a plurality of time zones associated with the server.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising computing, by the server, a hash value for each of the sets of time offsets.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising storing, by the server, for each of the time zones associated with the server, the corresponding hash value and associated identifiers respectively corresponding to the time zone.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising downloading to the client computer system JavaScript or other code configured to cause the client computer system to determine the set of time offsets, to concatenate the plurality of time offsets, to compute the hash value, and to use the hash value as a key to look up, in the table received from the server, the time zone identifier associated with the client computer system.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the time zone identifier associated with the client computer system to a web or other application.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference time comprises Coordinate Universal Time (UTC).

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sample points includes four or more date/time values throughout the calendar year.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting one or more sample points to be included in the plurality of sample points based at least in part on a point of distinction between a first time zone and a second time zone.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the point of distinction relates at least in part to an historical change in a manner in which one or more of the first time zone and the second time zone regulated time within the time zone.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the point of distinction relates at least in part to an historical change in a manner in which one or more of the first time zone and the second time zone handled daylight savings time (DST) within the time zone.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising caching the table to be used to look up the time zone identifier associated with the client computer system.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing for future use the looked up time zone identifier associated with the client computer system.

14. A client computer system, comprising:

a processor configured to:

receive, at the client computer system, a table comprising mappings of key values to time zone identifiers, the table being received from a server, wherein the key values mapped to the time zone identifiers in the table comprise, as keys, hash values computed using a set of time offsets for each of the time zones associated with the server;

determine, by the client computer system, a set of time offsets according to an offset between a system time and a reference time for each of a plurality of sample points, wherein the plurality of sample points comprise different date/time values;

concatenate a plurality of time offsets included in the set of time offsets;

compute a hash value of the concatenated plurality of time offsets;

and use the hash value as a key to look up, in the table, a time zone identifier associated with the client computer system; and

communicate, by the client computer system, the time zone identifier associated with the client computer system to the server; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store one or both of the set of time offsets and the hash value corresponding to the set of time offsets.

15. The client computer system of claim 14 , wherein the memory is further configured to store the table to be used to look up the time zone identifier associated with the client computer system.

16. A tangible, non-transitory computer readable storage medium having encoded thereon computer instructions that, when executed by a processor perform the steps of:

receiving, at a client computer system, a table comprising mappings of key values to time zone identifiers, the table being received from a server, wherein the key values mapped to the time zone identifiers in the table comprise, as keys, hash values computed using a set of time offsets for each of the time zones associated with the server;

determining, by the client computer system, a set of time offsets according to an offset between a system time and a reference time for each of a plurality of sample points, wherein the plurality of sample points comprise different date/time values;

concatenating a plurality of time offsets included in the set of time offsets;

computing a hash value of the concatenated plurality of time offsets;

using the hash value as a key to look up, in the table, a time zone identifier associated with the client computer system; and

communicating, by the client computer system, the time zone identifier associated with the client computer system to the server.