XML 42 R9.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.0.6

Formation and Business of the Company	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Formation and Business of the Company	Formation and Business of the Company Rambus Inc. (the “Company” or “Rambus”), the innovative technology solutions company that brings invention to market, was incorporated in California in March 1990 and reincorporated in Delaware in March 1997. Unleashing the intellectual power of its engineers and scientists in a collaborative and synergistic way, the Company invents, develops, offers and licenses solutions that challenge and enable its customers to create the future. In addition to licensing, the Company is creating new business opportunities through offering products and services where its goal is to perpetuate strong company operating performance and long-term stockholder value. The Company generates revenue by licensing its inventions and solutions, whether in the form of patent licensing, solutions licensing, or services, to market-leading companies.      While the Company has historically focused its efforts on the development of technologies for electronics memory and chip interfaces, it has been expanding its portfolio of inventions and solutions to address additional markets in lighting, displays, chip and system security, digital media, as well as new areas within the semiconductor industry, such as imaging and non-volatile memory. The Company intends to continue its growth into new technology fields, consistent with our mission to create great value through its innovations and to make those technologies available through its licensing business model. Key to the Company's efforts, both in its current businesses and in any new area of diversification, will be hiring and retaining inventors, scientists and engineers to lead the development of inventions and technology solutions for these fields of focus, and the management and business support personnel necessary to execute its plans and strategies.

X

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the nature of an entity's business, the major products or services it sells or provides and its principal markets, including the locations of those markets. If the entity operates in more than one business, the disclosure also indicates the relative importance of its operations in each business and the basis for the determination (for example, assets, revenues, or earnings).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 275

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6927468&loc=d3e6003-108592



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher AICPA

-Name Statement of Position (SOP)

-Number 94-6

-Paragraph 10

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NatureOfOperations
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_OrganizationConsolidationAndPresentationOfFinancialStatementsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration