Technology rivals Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co gave their consent to have a mediator help end their patent disputes concerning smartphone technology before they meet again in a San Jose, California court in March, Bloomberg reported. The agreement was filed in a San Jose federal court today as a response to the request of Judge Lucy Koh given in November for both parties to give a settlement discussion proposal before the trial begins. The proposal stated that senior legal executives of both firms met on January 6 to talk about the settlement opportunities, the report said.

The filing did not give a name but said the mediator "has experience mediating high profile disputes." The filing also said that the chief executive officers of both firms as well as three to four company lawyers will be present at the mediation scheduled before February 19. No outside lawyers will be present.

Previously, Apple and Samsung tried but was not able to reach an agreement in settlement negotiations ordered by the court, the report said. US Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero handled the negotiations between the two companies in 2012 during their first patent infringement case in San Jose. The company filing also revealed that the two tech giants also met at least two times the year before that to talk about a dispute settlement before the US International Trade Commission, the report said.

Apple is asking the court to ban the sales in the US of Samsung products at the center of the first patent trial between the two companies in California even if these products are not anymore sold on the market. In a court filing, Apple said it needed the injunction to discourage Samsung from releasing new products in the future that would infringe on its patents, the report said.