An alternative common view method for time transfer with GPS

The standard method of using GPS to compare the times of distant clocks is called the common view technique, by which two or more ground stations simultaneously observe a single GPS space vehicle (SV). In the most widely used form of common view, the positions of the SVs must be known because the signal transit times must be calculated. However, common view is one form of multilateration, by which solutions can be obtained for the positions of both stations and satellites, as well as clock offsets. We show in this paper how to adapt the principles from the classical geodetic literature on multilateration to time transfer. We discuss the need to optimize the geographic distribution of common view stations and the times of observation. A proposal for field tests is also presented, based on numerical simulations.