Electronic Device with Isolated Cavity Antennas

A portable computer, comprising:

• a metal housing having an upper housing portion that contains a display and having a lower housing portion, wherein the upper and lower housing portions are separated by a slot-shaped opening;
• first and second hinges at opposing ends of the slot-shaped opening that connect the upper housing portion to the lower housing portion;
• a flexible printed circuit with ground traces that are shorted to the upper and lower housing portions to divide the slot-shaped opening into first and second slots;
• and
• first and second cavity antennas in the lower housing portion that are aligned respectively with the first and second slots so that the first and second slots serve as respective antenna apertures for the first and second cavity antennas.

A portable computer, comprising:

• a metal base housing containing a keyboard;
• a metal lid containing a display;
• hinges that couple the metal lid to the metal base housing so that a slot-shaped opening is formed between the metal base housing and the metal lid, wherein the hinges are located at opposing ends of the slot-shaped opening;
• a flexible printed circuit having at least one ground trace that is shorted to the metal base housing and the metal lid and that divides the slot shaped opening into first and second slots by extending between the metal base housing and the metal lid across the slot-shaped opening;
• and
• a first antenna aligned with the first slot, wherein the first slot serves as an antenna aperture for the first antenna;
• and
• a second antenna aligned with the second slot, wherein the second slot serves as an antenna aperture for the second antenna.