Omnidirectional antennas for wireless communication

The typical omnidirectional antenna used in the wireless communication industry is the grounded monopole. The grounded monopoles as well as other similar wire antennas are simple, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Their geometry though, makes them protrusive and this is a real disadvantage in this industry, especially for indoor applications. Furthermore, the omnidirectional coverage might not be optimal for many situations, where asymmetrical patterns might be more appropriate. This paper proposes a number of non-protrusive antenna elements with an additional benefit: beam shaping.