Antennas with tuning structure for handheld devices

A handheld electronic device, comprising:

• at least one conductive housing member;
• a dielectric antenna support structure;
• an antenna flex circuit that is mounted to the dielectric antenna support structure and that forms an inverted-F antenna for the handheld electronic device, wherein the antenna flex circuit comprises a ground trace;
• and
• an adjustable electrical connector that forms an electrical connection with the ground trace, wherein the inverted-F antenna has a ground return path of a given length that includes a portion of the conductive housing member and the adjustable electrical connector and wherein the electrical connection of the adjustable electrical connector to the ground trace is formed at a location that adjusts the given length of the ground return path and tunes the inverted-F antenna.

A method of tuning an inverted-F antenna in a handheld electronic device, wherein the inverted-F antenna is formed from an antenna flex circuit mounted to a dielectric antenna support structure and has a ground return path of a given length, the method comprising:

• making measurements to characterize the inverted-F antenna;
• based on the measurements, determining how to adjust the inverted-F antenna to tune the inverted-F antenna to a desired frequency of operation;
• and
• after determining how to adjust the antenna, tuning the inverted-F antenna during assembly of the handheld electronic device by making an adjustment selected from the group consisting of:
• an adjustment to the given length of the ground return path, an adjustment to dielectric loading for the antenna provided by dielectric film on the antenna flex circuit, and an adjustment to dielectric loading for the antenna provided by filling selected cavities in the dielectric antenna support with dielectric.