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Income Taxes (Details 3) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Mar. 31, 2014
Operating loss carryforwards        
Reclassification of Unrecognized Tax Benefit Amount       $ 4,700,000rmbs_ReclassificationofUnrecognizedTaxBenefitAmount
Unrecognized tax benefits, reduction of long-term deferred tax assets, before federal tax benefit 17,800,000rmbs_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDeferredTaxAssetsNoncurrentGross 12,600,000rmbs_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDeferredTaxAssetsNoncurrentGross    
Unrecognized tax benefits included in long-term income taxes payable 2,100,000rmbs_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsAccruedIncomeTaxesNoncurrent 6,200,000rmbs_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsAccruedIncomeTaxesNoncurrent    
Portion of unrecognized tax benefits, which if recognized, would be recorded as an income tax benefit 2,100,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate 1,600,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate    
Amount of potential unrecognized tax benefit 900,000us-gaap_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleAmountOfUnrecordedBenefit      
Reconciliation of the beginning and ending amounts of unrecognized income tax benefits        
Balance at the beginning of the period 18,794,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 16,773,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 16,610,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits  
Tax positions related to current year:        
Additions 1,134,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesResultingFromCurrentPeriodTaxPositions 1,156,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesResultingFromCurrentPeriodTaxPositions 589,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesResultingFromCurrentPeriodTaxPositions  
Tax positions related to prior years:        
Additions 531,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions 956,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions 1,521,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions  
Reductions (556,000)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions (91,000)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions (1,947,000)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions  
Balance at the end of the period 19,903,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 18,794,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 16,773,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits  
Undistributed earnings 4,200,000us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries      
Alternative Minimum Tax Credits        
Operating loss carryforwards        
Tax credit carryforwards 2,500,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= rmbs_AlternativeMinimumTaxCreditsMember
     
Foreign Tax Credit        
Operating loss carryforwards        
Tax credit carryforwards 120,700,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= rmbs_ForeignTaxCreditMember
     
Federal        
Operating loss carryforwards        
Tax credit carryforwards subject to expiration 55,000,000rmbs_TaxCreditCarryforwardSubjectToExpirationAmount
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_InternalRevenueServiceIRSMember
     
Federal | Research and Development as label        
Operating loss carryforwards        
Tax credit carryforwards 32,700,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_InternalRevenueServiceIRSMember
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= us-gaap_ResearchMember
     
Federal | Excess Tax Benefits From Stock Option Tax Deductions        
Operating loss carryforwards        
Tax credit carryforwards 36,300,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_InternalRevenueServiceIRSMember
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= rmbs_TaxcreditswithnodeferredtaxassetrecognizedMember
     
State        
Operating loss carryforwards        
Operating Loss Carryforwards 294,500,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember
     
State | Research and Development as label        
Operating loss carryforwards        
Tax credit carryforwards 18,600,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= us-gaap_ResearchMember
     
State | Excess Tax Benefits From Stock Option Tax Deductions        
Operating loss carryforwards        
Operating Loss Carryforwards $ 97,500,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= rmbs_TaxcreditswithnodeferredtaxassetrecognizedMember