A US court has ordered Samsung and Apple to reduce the number of patents they are suing against each other, as it would be very hard to continue the trial due to the numerous alleged infringements.

Judge Lucy Koh of the US District Court for the Northern District of California on Wednesday ordered the companies to boil down the number of claims to be considered in the intellectual-property lawsuit concerning their smartphone and tablet products by May 7. Otherwise, the lawsuit will be postponed to next year.

Samsung vice chairman Choi Gee-sung and Apple CEO Tim Cook are expected to meet in court on May 21 to seek a settlement of their legal battles.

The two firms are expected to discuss a possible "cross license" agreement.

The two companies are engaged in a legal battle that includes many cases in different countries as they are fighting for the top spot in the smartphone and tablet markets.