Google and Oracle filed that provide the court with an update on the reexamination of Oracle's patents, and on whether they think the case should be "stayed," or put on hold, pending the outcome of that process.
Google argues in favor of a stay. It said the reexaminations are likely to narrow the scope of the case and the damages Oracle can claim against it. Narrowing the case would also make it "more likely that the parties could reach an informal resolution of the matter," Google's lawyers wrote.
While Google doesn't say it is actively seeking a settlement, Wednesday's filing marks the first time it has said publically that it may be open to the idea, said Florian Muller, a patent attorney who has been following the case.
"In a fundamental departure from the positions it previously articulated in its public filings and its public statements, Google clearly blinks," Muller in his FOSS Patents blog.
Google did not immediately reply to a request for comment.