Apple buys British iPhone patent. Who knew?

Did anyone else miss that Apple computers bought a patent for the iPhone from a British company? On 3rd March 2008, Apple Computers purchased USA patent 6,956,564 from British Telecom. This British patent covers sensing technology as used in the Apple iPhone and iTouch originally invented by Lyndsay Williams for BT in 1997, in a touch sensitive computer called SmartQuill (pictured). Williams, now managing director of Girton Labs Ltd, re-assigned the patent in Jan 2008 for an undisclosed amount. I hope he she got a good price for it. Anyone know anything about this technology?