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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

(2) Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

     (a) Cash and Cash Equivalents

     The Company considers securities purchased with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents consist of short-term investments in money market accounts at December 31, 2011 and 2010.

     Cash and cash equivalents are maintained at financial institutions and, at times, balances may exceed federally insured limits. We have never experienced any losses related to these balances. All of our non-interest bearing cash balances were fully insured at December 31, 2011 and 2010 due to a temporary federal program in effect from December 31, 2010 through December 31, 2012. Under the program, there is no limit to the amount of insurance for eligible non-interest bearing accounts. Beginning 2013, insurance coverage will revert to $250,000 per depositor at each financial institution, and our non-interest bearing cash balances may again exceed federally insured limits. Interest-bearing amounts on deposit in excess of federally insured limits at December 31, 2011 approximated $3 million.

     (b) Short-term Investments

     The Company classifies investments in marketable securities as trading, available-for-sale or held-to-maturity at the time of purchase and periodically re-evaluates such classifications. Trading securities are carried at fair value, with unrealized holding gains and losses included in earnings. Held-to-maturity securities are recorded at cost and are adjusted for the amortization or accretion of premiums or discounts over the life of the related security. Unrealized holding gains and losses on available-for-sale securities are excluded from earnings and are reported as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) until realized. In determining realized gains and losses, the cost of securities sold is based on the specific identification method. Interest and dividends on the investments are accrued at the balance sheet date. At December 31, 2011 all investments were classified as held to maturity and consisted of the following:

Certificates of Deposit Maturity     Value of Held to Maturity
Investment Date   Investments (based on cost)  
$ 1,000,000     6-28-12     $ 1,005,056  
$ 250,000 9-29-12 $ 250,000
                  $       1,255,056                  
 

     (c) Royalties Receivable

     Royalties receivable are recorded at the amounts specified within the license agreements when the collectability of the receivable is reasonably assured. The receivables do not bear interest. The allowance for doubtful accounts is the Company’s best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses in the Company’s existing royalties receivable. The Company determines the allowance based on historical write off experience. The Company reviews its allowance for doubtful accounts periodically. Past due accounts are reviewed individually for collectability. Account balances are charged off against the allowance after all means of collection have been exhausted and the potential for recovery is considered remote.

     (d) Fixed Assets

     Fixed assets are carried at cost. Depreciation and amortization are computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets.

     (e) Revenue Recognition/Fee Income

     The Company has entered into a number of license agreements covering its light control technology. The Company receives minimum annual royalties under certain license agreements and records fee income on a ratable basis each quarter. In instances when sales of licensed products by its licensees exceed minimum annual royalties, the Company recognizes fee income as the amounts have been earned. Certain of the fees are accrued by, or paid to, the Company in advance of the period in which they are earned resulting in deferred revenue. Such excess amounts are recorded as deferred revenue and recognized into income in future periods as earned.

     Fee income represents amounts earned by the Company under various license and other agreements (note 8) relating to technology developed by the Company. During 2011 five licensees accounted for 32%, 15%, 12%, 11% and 6%, respectively of fee income recognized for the year. During 2010 five licensees accounted for 13%, 11%, 10%, 10% and 10%, respectively of fee income recognized for the year. During 2009, three licensees accounted for 29%, 21% and 18%, respectively of fee income recognized during the year.

     (f) Basic and Diluted Loss Per Common Share

     Basic earnings (loss) per share excludes any dilution. It is based upon the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Dilutive earnings (loss) per share reflects the potential dilution that would occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock. The Company’s dilutive loss per share equals basic loss per share for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2011 because all common stock equivalents (i.e., options and warrants) were antidilutive in those periods. The number of options and warrants that were not included because their effect is antidilutive was 1,973,906, 2,443,108, and 2,511,341, for 2011, 2010, and 2009, respectively.

     (g) Research and Development Costs

     Research and development costs are charged to expense as incurred.

     (h) Patent Costs

     The Company expenses costs relating to the development or acquisition of patents due to the uncertainty of the recoverability of these items.

     (i) Use of Estimates

     The preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements requires management of the Company to make a number of estimates and assumptions relating to the reported amount of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during this period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

     (j) Income Taxes

     Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.

     In accordance with ASC Topic 740 (FIN 48), we recognize tax benefits only for tax positions that are more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by tax authorities. The amount recognized is measured as the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement. Unrecognized tax benefits are tax benefits claimed in tax returns that do not meet these recognition and measurement standards. We classify accrued interest and penalties related to any unrecognized tax benefits in our income tax provision. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, we do not have accrued interest and penalties related to any unrecognized tax benefits. We do not believe we have any uncertain tax positions as of December 31, 2011 and 2010.

     The tax years subject to examination by major tax jurisdictions include the years 2007 and forward by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and certain states. The Company is not currently being audited by any tax jurisdiction.

     (k) Fair Value of Financial Instruments

     The fair value of a financial instrument is the amount at which the instrument could be exchanged in a current transaction between willing parties. The carrying amounts of all financial instruments classified as a current asset or current liability are deemed to approximate fair value because of the short maturity of those instruments.

     (l) Equity-Based Compensation

     We recognize all stock-based compensation as an expense in the financial statements and such costs are measured at the fair value of the award at the date of grant. In addition to reflecting compensation expense for new share-based payment awards, expense is also recognized to reflect the remaining vesting period of awards that had been granted in prior periods. Tax benefits related to stock option exercises are reflected as financing cash inflows instead of operating cash inflows.

     The exercise price for stock options granted are generally set at the average for the high and low trading prices of the Company’s common stock on the trading date immediately prior to the date of grant, and the related number of shares granted are fixed at the date of grant.

     In order to determine the fair value of stock options on the date of grant, the Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. Inherent in this model are assumptions related to expected stock-price volatility, option term, risk-free interest rate and dividend yield. While the risk-free interest rate and dividend yield are less subjective assumptions that are based on factual data derived from public sources, the expected stock-price volatility and option term assumptions require a greater level of judgment.

     In connection with the stock options and restricted stock grants, the Company charged $719,811, $696,888 and $421,430 to operations during the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. In lieu of higher cash compensation, the Company granted 175,000 and 9,000 warrants to consultants during 2009. These warrants vest ratably over 59 and 24 months respectively. These warrants are valued at fair value at the time that the related services are provided using the Black Scholes method and marked to market quarterly using the Black Scholed method. The Company incurred a (benefit) charge to operations of ($16,974), $75,716 and $24,483 for 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively in connection with these warrants.

     (m) Restricted Stock

     Compensation cost for restricted stock is measured using the quoted market price of the Company's common stock at the date the common stock is granted, The compensation cost is recognized over the period between the issue date and the date any restrictions lapse. Restricted stock is included in total common shares outstanding upon the lapse of any restrictions.

     (n) Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

     The Company reviews long-lived assets to determine whether an event or change in circumstances indicates the carrying value of the asset may not be recoverable. The Company bases its evaluation on such impairment indicators as the nature of the assets, the future economic benefit of the assets and any historical or future profitability measurements, as well as other external market conditions or factors that may be present. If such impairment indicators are present or other factors exist that indicate that the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable, the Company determines whether an impairment has occurred through the use of an undiscounted cash flows analysis at the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows exist. If impairment has occurred, the Company recognizes a loss for the difference between the carrying amount and the fair value of the asset. Fair value is the amount at which the asset could be bought or sold in a current transaction between a willing buyer and seller other than in a forced or liquidation sale and can be measured as the asset’s quoted market price in an active market or, where an active market for the asset does not exist, the Company’s best estimate of fair value based on discounted cash flow analysis. Assets to be disposed of by sale are measured at the lower of carrying amount or fair value less estimated costs to sell.

     (o) Recent Accounting Pronouncements

New Accounting Standards

     In May 2011, FASB issued ASU No. 2011-04, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. (GAAP and IFRSs.” ASU 2011-04 amends Topic 820 to provide common fair value measurement and disclosure requirements in U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“U.S. GAAP”) and International Financial Reporting Standards. Consequently, the amendments change the wording used to describe many of the requirements in U.S. GAAP for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurement, as well as providing guidance on how fair value should be applied where its use is already required or permitted by other standards within U.S. GAAP. ASU No. 2011-04 is to be applied prospectively, and early adoption is not permitted. For public entities, the amendments are effective during interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of ASU No. 2011-04 is not expected to have a material impact on our results of operations or our financial position.

     In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-11, “Balance Sheet (Topic 210): Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities.” ASU 2011-11 provides for additional disclosures of both gross information and net information about both instruments and transactions eligible for offset in the statement of financial position and instruments and transactions subject to an agreement similar to a master netting arrangement. This scope would include derivatives, sale and repurchase agreements and reverse sale and repurchase agreements, and securities borrowing and securities lending arrangements. The amendments in this Update are effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those annual periods, and disclosures required by these amendments should be provided retrospectively for all comparative periods presented. The adoption of ASU 2011-11 is not expected to have a material impact on our results of operations or our financial position.

     (p) Fair Value Measurements

     Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 820 “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures” (“ASC Topic 820”) establishes a framework for measuring fair value in generally accepted accounting principles and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. ASC Topic 820 applies under other previously issued accounting pronouncements that require or permit fair value measurements but does not require any new fair value measurements.

     ASC Topic 820 defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. ASC Topic 820 establishes a fair value hierarchy that distinguishes between (1) market participant assumptions developed based on market data obtained from independent sources (observable inputs) and (2) an entity’s own assumptions about market participant assumptions developed based on the best information available in the circumstances (unobservable inputs).

     We value financial instruments using a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value. These tiers include: Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities; Level 2, defined as inputs other than quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable; and Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions.

     Financial assets accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2011 and 2010, include cash and cash equivalents of approximately $2.4 million and $7.0 million, respectively, as well as short term investments of $1.3 million in 2011. These assets are carried at fair value based on quoted market prices for identical securities (Level 1 inputs).