XML 74 R63.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.8.0.1

Taxes (Detail) - USD ($) | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | ---
Oct. 01, 2017 | Oct. 02, 2016 | Oct. 01, 2017 | Oct. 02, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2016
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Income tax provision at federal statutory corporate tax rate | 35.00% | 35.00% | 35.00% | 35.00% |
Decrease in effective tax rate | 18.00% | 17.00% | 18.00% | 17.00% |
Decrease in effective tax rate for difference between deduction for tax purposes and compensation cost recognized from stock option exercises | 7.00% | 11.00% | 13.00% | 6.00% |
Increase in reserves for income taxes, net of deferred tax benefit | $ 201,000 |  | $ 201,000 |  |
Interest and penalties included in reserve |  |  | 22,000 |  |
Liability for uncertain tax positions | 6,591,000 |  | 6,591,000 |  |
Reserve for income taxes classified as a noncurrent iability | 5,563,000 |  | 5,563,000 |  | $ 5,361,000
Reserve for income taxes classified an noncurrent deferred tax assets | 1,028,000 |  | 1,028,000 |  |
Interest and penalties, gross | $ 701,000 |  | 701,000 |  |
Minimum decrease in income tax expense due to release in reserves |  |  | 1,000,000 |  |
Maximum decrease in income tax expense due to release in reserves |  |  | $ 1,200,000 |  |
Tax years open to examination by Internal Revenue Service |  |  | 2014 through 2016 |  |
Tax years open to examination by various taxing authorities for other entities |  |  | 2013 through 2016 |  |
Foreign Tax Authority | Revenue Commissioners, Ireland |  |  |  |  |
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Income tax provision at federal statutory corporate tax rate |  |  | 12.50% |  |
Foreign Tax Authority | State Administration of Taxation, China |  |  |  |  |
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Income tax provision at federal statutory corporate tax rate |  |  | 25.00% |  |
Domestic Tax Authority |  |  |  |  |
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Income tax provision at federal statutory corporate tax rate |  |  | 35.00% |  |

X
- Definition Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Share-based Compensation, Excess Tax Benefit, Percent + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cgnx_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationSharebasedCompensationExcessTaxBenefitPercent
Namespace Prefix: | cgnx_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The tax year(s) being audited in connection with the income tax examination for other entities. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cgnx_IncomeTaxExaminationYearsUnderExaminationOtherEntities
Namespace Prefix: | cgnx_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Increase decrease interest and penalties. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cgnx_IncreaseDecreaseInterestAndPenalties
Namespace Prefix: | cgnx_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Liability for uncertain tax positions, total. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cgnx_LiabilityForUncertainTaxPositions
Namespace Prefix: | cgnx_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Maximum decrease in income tax expense due to release in reserves. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cgnx_MaximumDecreaseInIncomeTaxExpenseDueToReleaseInReserves
Namespace Prefix: | cgnx_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Minimum decrease in income tax expense due to release in reserves. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cgnx_MinimumDecreaseInIncomeTaxExpenseDueToReleaseInReserves
Namespace Prefix: | cgnx_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Tax years open to examination by Internal Revenue Service + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cgnx_TaxyearsopentoexaminationbyInternalRevenueService
Namespace Prefix: | cgnx_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Unrecognized tax benefit shown as a reduction to noncurrent deferred tax assets as a result of net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cgnx_Unrecognizedtaxbenefitshownasareductiontononcurrentdeferredtaxassets
Namespace Prefix: | cgnx_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Percentage of domestic federal statutory tax rate applicable to pretax income (loss). + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 12 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65882285&loc=d3e32687-109319 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 6.I) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34349781&loc=d3e330036-122817 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 13 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65882285&loc=d3e32698-109319 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Percentage of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations applicable to statutory income tax expense (benefit) outside of the country of domicile. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 12 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65882285&loc=d3e32687-109319 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 13 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65882285&loc=d3e32698-109319 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 6.I) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34349781&loc=d3e330036-122817 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_IncomeTaxContingencyLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The amount the liability recorded for the income tax examination increased or decreased in the current year/accounting period. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15A -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65882285&loc=SL6600010-109319 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_IncomeTaxExaminationIncreaseDecreaseInLiabilityFromPriorYear
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount recognized for uncertainty in income taxes classified as noncurrent. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.24) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LiabilityForUncertainTaxPositionsNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount accrued for interest on an underpayment of income taxes and penalties related to a tax position claimed or expected to be claimed in the tax return. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65882285&loc=d3e32718-109319 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis=us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityNameAxis=us-gaap_RevenueCommissionersIrelandMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityNameAxis=us-gaap_StateAdministrationOfTaxationChinaMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis=us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |