Cavity antennas for electronic devices

An antenna in an electronic device housing having a curved housing surface, the antenna comprising:

• a dielectric support structure;
• a metal layer on the dielectric support structure that forms a conductive antenna cavity, wherein the conductive antenna cavity has a curved conductive wall formed from part of the metal layer;
• and
• an antenna resonating element having a printed circuit board with an inverted-F antenna resonating element trace, wherein the curved conductive wall is formed opposite to the antenna resonating element, and wherein the curved conductive wall extends parallel to the curved housing surface.

A portable computer, comprising:

• an upper housing portion having a continuous metal housing structure;
• an antenna window formed from a plurality of antenna window slots in the metal housing structure
• a lower housing portion that is pivotably attached to the upper housing portion;
• radio-frequency transceiver circuitry;
• a transmission line that is coupled to the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry;
• and
• a cavity-backed antenna that is located under the antenna window, that is coupled to the transmission line, and that has an antenna cavity formed from a plastic support with vertical metal sidewalls and a rear metal layer, wherein the plastic support forms a separate structure from the upper and lower housing portions, and wherein the upper housing portion has a curved surface, the rear metal layer of the antenna cavity comprises a curved metal layer, and the curved metal layer extends parallel to the curved surface of the upper housing portion.