2.4.0.8 Html 28 110 1 false 10 0 false 4 false false R1.htm 000 - Disclosure - Document And Entity Information Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/DocumentAndEntityInformation Document And Entity Information true false R2.htm 001 - Statement - Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/ConsolidatedBalanceSheet Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) false false R3.htm 002 - Statement - Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/ConsolidatedIncomeStatement Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) false false R4.htm 003 - Statement - Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss (Unaudited) Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/ConsolidatedComprehensiveIncome Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss (Unaudited) false false R5.htm 004 - Statement - Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/ConsolidatedCashFlow Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) false false R6.htm 005 - Disclosure - Note 1 - Business of Internet Patents Corporation Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/Note1BusinessofInternetPatentsCorporation Note 1 - Business of Internet Patents Corporation false false R7.htm 006 - Disclosure - Note 2 - Basis of Presentation Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/Note2BasisofPresentation Note 2 - Basis of Presentation false false R8.htm 007 - Disclosure - Note 3 - Fair Value Measurements Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/Note3FairValueMeasurements Note 3 - Fair Value Measurements false false R9.htm 008 - Disclosure - Note 4 - Restricted Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/Note4RestrictedCashEquivalentsandShortTermInvestments Note 4 - Restricted Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments false false R10.htm 009 - Disclosure - Note 5 - Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilites Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/Note5AccruedExpensesandOtherCurrentLiabilites Note 5 - Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilites false false R11.htm 010 - Disclosure - Note 6 - Disposition Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/Note6Disposition Note 6 - Disposition false false R12.htm 011 - Disclosure - Note 7 - Net Loss Per Share Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/Note7NetLossPerShare Note 7 - Net Loss Per Share false false R13.htm 012 - Disclosure - Note 8 - Commitments and Contingencies Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/Note8CommitmentsandContingencies Note 8 - Commitments and Contingencies false false R14.htm 013 - Disclosure - Note 9 - Options and Equity Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/Note9OptionsandEquity Note 9 - Options and Equity false false R15.htm 014 - Disclosure - Note 10 - Litigation Settlement Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/Note10LitigationSettlement Note 10 - Litigation Settlement false false R16.htm 015 - Disclosure - Note 3 - Fair Value Measurements (Tables) Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/Note3FairValueMeasurementsTables Note 3 - Fair Value Measurements (Tables) false false R17.htm 016 - Disclosure - Note 5 - Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilites (Tables) Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/Note5AccruedExpensesandOtherCurrentLiabilitesTables Note 5 - Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilites (Tables) false false R18.htm 017 - Disclosure - Note 7 - Net Loss Per Share (Tables) Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/Note7NetLossPerShareTables Note 7 - Net Loss Per Share (Tables) false false R19.htm 018 - Disclosure - Note 3 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) - Assets at Fair Value Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/AssetsatFairValueTable Note 3 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) - Assets at Fair Value false false R20.htm 019 - Disclosure - Note 4 - Restricted Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments (Details) Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/Note4RestrictedCashEquivalentsandShortTermInvestmentsDetails Note 4 - Restricted Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments (Details) false false R21.htm 020 - Disclosure - Note 5 - Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilites (Details) Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/Note5AccruedExpensesandOtherCurrentLiabilitesDetails Note 5 - Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilites (Details) false false R22.htm 021 - Disclosure - Note 5 - Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilites (Details) - Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/AccruedExpensesandOtherCurrentLiabilitiesTable Note 5 - Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilites (Details) - Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities false false R23.htm 022 - Disclosure - Note 6 - Disposition (Details) Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/Note6DispositionDetails Note 6 - Disposition (Details) false false R24.htm 023 - Disclosure - Note 7 - Net Loss Per Share (Details) Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/Note7NetLossPerShareDetails Note 7 - Net Loss Per Share (Details) false false R25.htm 024 - Disclosure - Note 7 - Net Loss Per Share (Details) - Calculation of Numerator and Denominator in Earnings Per Share Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/CalculationofNumeratorandDenominatorinEarningsPerShareTable Note 7 - Net Loss Per Share (Details) - Calculation of Numerator and Denominator in Earnings Per Share false false R26.htm 025 - Disclosure - Note 8 - Commitments and Contingencies (Details) Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/Note8CommitmentsandContingenciesDetails Note 8 - Commitments and Contingencies (Details) false false R27.htm 026 - Disclosure - Note 9 - Options and Equity (Details) Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/Note9OptionsandEquityDetails Note 9 - Options and Equity (Details) false false R28.htm 027 - Disclosure - Note 10 - Litigation Settlement (Details) Sheet http://www.internetpatentscorporation.net/role/Note10LitigationSettlementDetails Note 10 - Litigation Settlement (Details) false false All Reports Book All Reports Element ptnt_ExitCostObligations had a mix of decimals attribute values: -3 0. Element us-gaap_BusinessExitCosts1 had a mix of decimals attribute values: -3 0. Element us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndInvestmentsCurrent had a mix of decimals attribute values: -5 -3. 'Monetary' elements on report '004 - Statement - Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)' had a mix of different decimal attribute values. 'Monetary' elements on report '022 - Disclosure - Note 6 - Disposition (Details)' had a mix of different decimal attribute values. Process Flow-Through: 001 - Statement - Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) Process Flow-Through: Removing column 'Sep. 30, 2012' Process Flow-Through: Removing column 'Dec. 31, 2011' Process Flow-Through: 002 - Statement - Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) Process Flow-Through: 003 - Statement - Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss (Unaudited) Process Flow-Through: 004 - Statement - Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) ptnt-20130930.xml ptnt-20130930.xsd ptnt-20130930_cal.xml ptnt-20130930_def.xml ptnt-20130930_lab.xml ptnt-20130930_pre.xml true true