Apple Inc. (AAPL), Google Inc. (GOOG) Talking Patent Deal?

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG), the two giants of the tablet and smartphone worlds with their iOS and Android operating systems, respectively, may be actually having a sit-down with each other to discuss patents and trying to hammer out a deal so they can avoid a lengthy and expensive legal battle. Google, in effect, has already been waging a legal proxy war against its top rival, via Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd and Motorola Mobility.

Word is that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Tim Cook and Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) chief Larry Page have already had one phone discussion about their differences with patents, while executives from both companies are reportedly working out the various points of discussion between the two. A second call between the two head honchos that was slated for this week was canceled, though no reason was given.

The late Steve Jobs declared “thermonuclear war” on Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) a couple years back, and let his displeasure be known that former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who was a member of Apple’s board, did not leave himself out of meetings when the board discussed the iOS operating system. Not long after those meetings that surrounded the operating system, the iPhone and iPad were introduced to the world – and Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) soon thereafter developed the Android operating system. In 2009, Schmidt stepped down from the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) board and left Google as its CEO in 2011.

With Jobs and Schmidt, the two catalysts for the rivalry, now out of the picture, can a peaceful end to this “war” be seen over the horizon? It’s still too early to tell, but the fact that Cook and Page have already had a lengthy discussion – and the potentially millions of dollars and significant publicity points at stake in this patent battle – one might expect that these two may likely talk very earnestly in the coming weeks.

There was no word, however, whether the discussion the two had last week focused specifically on the Android OS or wheher other topics were on the table as well.