Note 2 - Stock Based Compensation

9 Months Ended

Dec. 26, 2014

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Text Block]

Note 2. Stock Based Compensation

The Company has three stock equity plans: The 1997 Employee Stock Option Plan, the 2000 Stock Option Plan and the 2007 Equity Incentive Plan. As of December 26, 2014, no additional awards may be issued under either the 1997 Employee Stock Option Plan or the 2000 Stock Option Plan. There are 2,500,000 shares authorized for issuance under the 2007 Equity Incentive Plan, with 266,095 shares remaining available for future grant.

Options and restricted stock awards may be granted to employees, officers, directors and consultants. Options typically vest over a period of one to four years and are exercisable up to ten years from the date of issuance. The option exercise price equals the stock’s market price on the date of grant. Restricted stock awards typically vest over a period of six months to four years, and the shares subject to such awards are generally not transferrable until the awards vest.

The following table summarizes information regarding options outstanding and options exercisable at each of the quarterly periods through the nine months ended December 27, 2013 and December 26, 2014, respectively, and the changes during the periods then ended:

	Number of Options Outstanding (000’s)			Weighted Average Exercise Price per Share		Number of Shares Exercisable (000’s)		Weighted Average Exercise Price per Share
Balance as of March 31, 2013		2,392		$	1.66		2,142	$	1.76
Granted		24		$	0.48
Exercised		--		$	--
Expired or forfeited		(114	)	$	1.03
Balance as of June 28, 2013		2,302		$	1.68		2,099	$	1.76
Granted		--		$	--
Exercised		(4	)	$	0.44
Expired or forfeited		(19	)	$	1.80
Balance as of September 27, 2013		2,279		$	1.68		2,117	$	1.75
Granted		--		$	--
Exercised		--		$	--
Expired or forfeited		(12	)	$	0.63
Balance as of December 27, 2013		2,267		$	1.69		2,112	$	1.75
Balance as of March 31, 2014		2,171		$	1.66		2,017	$	1.75
Granted		--		$	--
Exercised		--		$	--
Expired or forfeited		(36	)	$	2.09
Balance as of June 27, 2014		2,135		$	1.68		2,031	$	1.70
Granted		--		$	--
Exercised		--		$	--
Expired or forfeited		(16	)	$	1.39
Balance as of September 26, 2014		2,119		$	1.66		2,055	$	1.69
Granted		--		$	--
Exercised		--		$	--
Expired or forfeited		(180	)	$	1.80
Balance as of December 26, 2014		1,939		$	1.65		1,881	$	1.67
Vested & expected to Vest, December 26, 2014		1,924		$	1.65

Information regarding stock options outstanding as of December 26, 2014 is as follows:

			Options Outstanding
Price Range			Shares (in 000s)		Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Life
$0.44	-	$1.25		521	$	0.71		6.75
$1.26	-	$2.50		1,168	$	1.81		2.83
$2.51	-	$5.34		250	$	2.83		0.67

			Options Exercisable
Price Range			Shares (in 000s)		Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Life
$0.44	-	$1.25		463	$	0.69		6.70
$1.26	-	$2.50		1,168	$	1.81		2.83
$2.51	-	$5.34		250	$	2.83		0.67

The intrinsic value of options exercised during each of the three and nine month periods ended December 26, 2014 was zero. The intrinsic value of options exercised during the three and nine month periods ended December 27, 2013 was zero and $600, respectively.

During the third quarter of fiscal 2014, no restricted shares were issued. There were no restricted shares issued during the third quarter of fiscal 2015. The restricted share transactions are summarized below:

	Shares (000’s)			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share
Unvested, March 31, 2013		128		$	0.87
Granted		40		$	0.48
Vested		--		$	--
Expired or forfeited		(1	)	$	0.76
Unvested, June 28, 2013		167		$	0.78
Granted		50		$	0.66
Vested		(26	)	$	0.89
Expired or forfeited		(7	)	$	0.95
Unvested, September 27, 2013		184		$	0.72
Granted		--		$	--
Vested		(12	)	$	0.48
Expired or forfeited		(4	)	$	0.76
Unvested, December 27, 2013		168		$	0.74

	Shares (000’s)			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share
Unvested, March 31, 2014		84		$	0.76
Granted		--		$	--
Vested		--		$	--
Expired or forfeited		(16	)	$	0.50
Unvested, June 27, 2014		68		$	0.83
Granted		--		$	--
Vested		(25	)	$	0.95
Expired or forfeited		--		$	--
Unvested, September 26, 2014		43		$	0.75
Granted		--		$	--
Vested		--		$	--
Expired or forfeited		--		$	--
Unvested, December 26, 2014		43		$	0.75

The Company estimates the fair value of stock-based awards utilizing the Black-Scholes pricing model for stock options and using the intrinsic value for restricted stock. The fair value of the awards is amortized as compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the award, which is generally the vesting period. The Black-Scholes fair value calculations involve significant judgments, assumptions, estimates and complexities that impact the amount of compensation expense to be recorded in current and future periods. The factors include:

1. The time period that option awards are expected to remain outstanding has been determined based on the average of the original award period and the remaining vesting period. The expected term assumption for awards issued during the nine month periods ended December 27, 2013 was 6.3 years.

2. The future volatility of the Company’s stock has been estimated based on the weekly stock price during the expected term to the date of the latest stock option grant. The expected volatility assumption for awards issued during the nine month periods ended December 27, 2013 averaged 68%.

3. A dividend yield of zero has been assumed for awards issued during nine month periods ended December 27, 2013, based on the Company’s actual past experience and the fact that Company does not anticipate paying a dividend on its shares in the near future.

4. The Company has based its risk-free interest rate assumption for awards issued during the nine month periods ended December 27, 2013 on the implied yield available on U.S. Treasury issues with an equivalent expected term, which averaged 1.1%.

5. The forfeiture rate, for awards issued during the nine month periods ended December 26, 2014 and December 27, 2013, was 30% and 23%, respectively, and was based on the Company’s actual historical forfeiture history.

The Company’s stock-based compensation expense is classified in the table below:

	Three months ended				Nine months ended
	December 26, 2014		December 27, 2013		December 26, 2014		December 27, 2013
Cost of Products Sold	$	1,000	$	1,000	$	4,000	$	5,000
Research, development & engineering expense		3,000		4,000		10,000		16,000
General and Administrative expense		10,000		31,000		33,000		70,000
Sales and Marketing expense		1,000		4,000		5,000		19,000
Total Stock Based Compensation	$	15,000	$	40,000	$	52,000	$	110,000

At December 26, 2014, the total stock-based compensation expense related to unvested stock options and restricted shares granted to employees and independent directors under the Company’s stock option plans but not yet recognized was $33,000. This expense will be amortized on a straight-line basis over a weighted-average period of approximately 0.7 years and will be adjusted for subsequent changes in estimated forfeitures.