SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Description of Business Immersion Corporation (the "Company") was incorporated in 1993 in California and reincorporated in Delaware in 1999. The Company focuses on the creation, design, development, and licensing of innovative haptic technologies that allow people to use their sense of touch more fully as they engage with products and experience the digital world around them. The Company has adopted a business model under which it provides advanced tactile software, related tools, technical assistance designed to help integrate its patented technology into its customers’ products or enhance the functionality of its patented technology to certain customers, and offers licenses to the Company's patented technology to other customers. Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Immersion Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiaries: Immersion Canada Corporation; Immersion International, LLC; Immersion Medical, Inc.; Immersion Japan K.K.; Immersion Ltd.; Immersion Software Ireland Ltd.; Haptify, Inc.; Immersion (Shanghai) Science & Technology Company, Ltd.; and Immersion Technology International Ltd. All intercompany accounts, transactions, and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP") for interim financial information and with the instructions for Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, these condensed consolidated financial statements do not include all information and footnotes necessary for a complete presentation of the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows, in conformity with U.S. GAAP and should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. In the opinion of management, all adjustments consisting of only normal and recurring items necessary for the fair presentation of the financial position and results of operations for the interim periods presented have been included. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. Segment Information The Company develops, licenses, and supports software and a wide-range of IP that more fully engage users’ sense of touch as they engage with products and experience the digital world around them. The Company currently focuses on the following target application areas: mobility, automotive, gaming, medical and wearables. The Company’s chief operating decision maker ("CODM") is the Chief Executive Officer. The CODM allocates resources to and assesses the performance of the Company using information about its financial results as one operating and reporting segment. Revenue Recognition The Company adopted the Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09 "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)" ("ASC 606"), effective January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective transition method where the cumulative effect of the initial application is recognized as an adjustment to the opening balance of the accumulated deficit at January 1, 2018, the date of adoption. Refer to Note 2 Revenue Recognition of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for the Company's revenue recognition accounting policy. Leases The Company leases all of its office space pursuant to lease arrangements, each of which have expiration dates on or before February 29, 2024. On January 1, 2019 (the "Adoption Date"), the Company adopted the Accounting Standards Codification Section ASC 842 Leases ("ASC 842"), using the alternative modified transition method to apply the standard and measure leases existed at, or entered into, after the Adoption Date. The Company's operating leases accounted for as right-of-use ("ROU") assets and lease liability obligations in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets under Other assets, Other current liabilities and Other long-term liabilities, respectively. ROU assets represent the Company's right to use an underlying asset for the lease term, and lease liability obligations represent the Company's obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. ROU assets and lease liabilities are recognized at lease commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. The Company has lease agreements that combine lease and non-lease components, and the Company elects to account for such components as a single lease component. As the Company's leases typically do not provide an implicit rate, the Company estimates its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. ROU assets also include any lease payments made and exclude lease incentives and direct costs. Lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company elects to not present leases with an initial term of 12 months or less on its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. See Note 11 Leases of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information on ASC 842 adoption. Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In July 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU 2018-09 "Codification Improvement" ("ASU 2018-09"). This ASU amends a wide variety of Topics in the Codification issued by FASB with technical corrections, clarifications, and other minor improvements, and should eliminate the need for periodic agenda requests for narrow and incremental items. Many of the amendments in this ASU are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018 for public entities. The Company adopted this ASU as of January 1, 2019. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements. In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-07 "Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Non-employee Share-Based Payment Accounting" ("ASU 2018-07"). This ASU expands the scope of Topic 718 to include share-based payment transaction for acquiring goods and services from nonemployees and supersedes subtopic 505-50. For public entities, the guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those fiscal years, and early adoption is permitted but no earlier than adoption of Topic 606. The Company adopted this ASU as of January 1, 2019. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements. In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02 "Income Statement-Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income" ("ASU 2018-02"). The amendments in this ASU allow a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Act. The guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those fiscal years, and early adoption is permitted. The Company adopted this ASU as of January 1, 2019. The amount of stranded tax effects that was reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss was not material to the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02 Leases: Topic 842 ("ASU 2016-02") in order to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet for those leases classified as operating leases under prior U.S. GAAP. Subsequently, the FASB issued numerous amendments to the initial guidance including ASU 2017-13, ASU 2018-10, ASU 2018-11, ASU 2018-20 and ASU 2019-01 (collectively, "ASC 842"). ASC 842 requires that a lessee should recognize a liability to make lease payments ("lease liabilities") and a right-to-use ("ROU") asset representing its right-to-use the underlying asset for the lease term on the balance sheet. ASC 842 also requires additional disclosures related to key information about leasing arrangements, including, but not limited to, amounts, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. The Company adopted ASC 842 on January 1, 2019 (the "Adoption Date"), using the alternative modified transition method, which requires a cumulative-effect adjustment, if any, to the opening balance of accumulated deficit to be recognized on the Adoption Date, with prior periods not restated. The Company elected certain practical expedients, including 1) not to reassess prior conclusions related to the identification, classification and accounting for initial direct costs for leases, 2) not to use hindsight to determine lease terms, 3) to not separate non-lease components within our lease portfolio, and 4) not to present leases with an initial term of 12 months or less on its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The adoption of ASC 842 resulted in the recognition of ROU assets of $4.0 million and lease liabilities for operating leases of $4.9 million. There was no cumulative effect adjustment recognized on the beginning accumulated deficits as a result of the adoption. The comparative period presented in this Form 10-Q reflects the former lease U.S. GAAP accounting guidance. See Note 11 Leases of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information. Recent Accounting Guidance Not Yet Adopted In June 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-13, "Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments" ("ASU 2016-13"). This guidance requires financial assets measured at amortized cost to be presented at the net amount expected to be collected based on historical events, current conditions and forecast information. The standard will be effective for the first interim period within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of ASU 2016-13 on its Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Description of Business

Immersion Corporation (the "Company") was incorporated in 1993 in California and reincorporated in Delaware in 1999. The Company focuses on the creation, design, development, and licensing of innovative haptic technologies that allow people to use their sense of touch more fully as they engage with products and experience the digital world around them. The Company has adopted a business model under which it provides advanced tactile software, related tools, technical assistance designed to help integrate its patented technology into its customers’ products or enhance the functionality of its patented technology to certain customers, and offers licenses to the Company's patented technology to other customers.

Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Immersion Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiaries: Immersion Canada Corporation; Immersion International, LLC; Immersion Medical, Inc.; Immersion Japan K.K.; Immersion Ltd.; Immersion Software Ireland Ltd.; Haptify, Inc.; Immersion (Shanghai) Science & Technology Company, Ltd.; and Immersion Technology International Ltd. All intercompany accounts, transactions, and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP") for interim financial information and with the instructions for Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, these condensed consolidated financial statements do not include all information and footnotes necessary for a complete presentation of the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows, in conformity with U.S. GAAP and should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. In the opinion of management, all adjustments consisting of only normal and recurring items necessary for the fair presentation of the financial position and results of operations for the interim periods presented have been included.

The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.

Segment Information

The Company develops, licenses, and supports software and a wide-range of IP that more fully engage users’ sense of touch as they engage with products and experience the digital world around them. The Company currently focuses on the following target application areas: mobility, automotive, gaming, medical and wearables. The Company’s chief operating decision maker ("CODM") is the Chief Executive Officer. The CODM allocates resources to and assesses the performance of the Company using information about its financial results as one operating and reporting segment.

Revenue Recognition

The Company adopted the Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09 "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)" ("ASC 606"), effective January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective transition method where the cumulative effect of the initial application is recognized as an adjustment to the opening balance of the accumulated deficit at January 1, 2018, the date of adoption. Refer to Note 2 Revenue Recognition of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for the Company's revenue recognition accounting policy.

Leases

The Company leases all of its office space pursuant to lease arrangements, each of which have expiration dates on or before February 29, 2024. On January 1, 2019 (the "Adoption Date"), the Company adopted the Accounting Standards Codification Section ASC 842 Leases ("ASC 842"), using the alternative modified transition method to apply the standard and measure leases existed at, or entered into, after the Adoption Date. The Company's operating leases accounted for as right-of-use ("ROU") assets and lease liability obligations in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets under Other assets, Other current liabilities and Other long-term liabilities, respectively. ROU assets represent the Company's right to use an underlying asset for the lease term, and lease liability obligations represent the Company's obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. ROU assets and lease liabilities are recognized at lease commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. The Company has lease agreements that combine lease and non-lease components, and the Company elects to account for such components as a single lease component. As the Company's leases typically do not provide an implicit rate, the Company estimates its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. ROU assets also include any lease payments made and exclude lease incentives and direct costs. Lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company elects to not present leases with an initial term of 12 months or less on its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. See Note 11 Leases of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information on ASC 842 adoption.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In July 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU 2018-09 "Codification Improvement" ("ASU 2018-09"). This ASU amends a wide variety of Topics in the Codification issued by FASB with technical corrections, clarifications, and other minor improvements, and should eliminate the need for periodic agenda requests for narrow and incremental items. Many of the amendments in this ASU are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018 for public entities. The Company adopted this ASU as of January 1, 2019. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements.

In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-07 "Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Non-employee Share-Based Payment Accounting" ("ASU 2018-07"). This ASU expands the scope of Topic 718 to include share-based payment transaction for acquiring goods and services from nonemployees and supersedes subtopic 505-50. For public entities, the guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those fiscal years, and early adoption is permitted but no earlier than adoption of Topic 606. The Company adopted this ASU as of January 1, 2019. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02 "Income Statement-Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income" ("ASU 2018-02"). The amendments in this ASU allow a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Act. The guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those fiscal years, and early adoption is permitted. The Company adopted this ASU as of January 1, 2019. The amount of stranded tax effects that was reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss was not material to the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02 Leases: Topic 842 ("ASU 2016-02") in order to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet for those leases classified as operating leases under prior U.S. GAAP. Subsequently, the FASB issued numerous amendments to the initial guidance including ASU 2017-13, ASU 2018-10, ASU 2018-11, ASU 2018-20 and ASU 2019-01 (collectively, "ASC 842"). ASC 842 requires that a lessee should recognize a liability to make lease payments ("lease liabilities") and a right-to-use ("ROU") asset representing its right-to-use the underlying asset for the lease term on the balance sheet. ASC 842 also requires additional disclosures related to key information about leasing arrangements, including, but not limited to, amounts, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases.

The Company adopted ASC 842 on January 1, 2019 (the "Adoption Date"), using the alternative modified transition method, which requires a cumulative-effect adjustment, if any, to the opening balance of accumulated deficit to be recognized on the Adoption Date, with prior periods not restated. The Company elected certain practical expedients, including 1) not to reassess prior conclusions related to the identification, classification and accounting for initial direct costs for leases, 2) not to use hindsight to determine lease terms, 3) to not separate non-lease components within our lease portfolio, and 4) not to present leases with an initial term of 12 months or less on its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The adoption of ASC 842 resulted in the recognition of ROU assets of $4.0 million and lease liabilities for operating leases of $4.9 million. There was no cumulative effect adjustment recognized on the beginning accumulated deficits as a result of the adoption. The comparative period presented in this Form 10-Q reflects the former lease U.S. GAAP accounting guidance. See Note 11 Leases of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.

Recent Accounting Guidance Not Yet Adopted

In June 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-13, "Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments" ("ASU 2016-13"). This guidance requires financial assets measured at amortized cost to be presented at the net amount expected to be collected based on historical events, current conditions and forecast information. The standard will be effective for the first interim period within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of ASU 2016-13 on its Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.