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DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policy)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES [Abstract]

The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Autoscope Technologies Corporation and its wholly‑owned subsidiary ISNS and its following wholly-owned subsidiaries: Image Sensing Systems HK Limited (ISS HK) in Hong Kong; Image Sensing Systems (Shenzhen) Limited (ISS WOFE) in China; Image Sensing Systems Spain SLU (ISS Spain) in Spain; ISS Image Sensing Systems Canada Limited (ISS Canada) in Canada; and Autoscope Technologies India Private Limited (Autoscope India) in India. All significant inter‑company transactions and balances have been eliminated.

REVENUE RECOGNITION

We recognize revenue when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services.

We determine revenue recognition through the following steps:
●	Identification of a contract, or contracts, with a customer;
●	Identification of performance obligations in the contract;
●	Determination of the transaction price;
●	Allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and
●	Recognition of revenue when, or as, we satisfy a performance obligation.

Revenue disaggregated by revenue source for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 consists of the following (in thousands); revenue excludes sales and usage-based taxes where it has been determined that we are acting as a pass-through agent:

	Years Ended December 31,
	2021		2020
Product sales	$	4,710	$	4,829
Royalties		8,532		8,344
Total revenue	$	13,242	$	13,173

Product Sales:

Product revenue is generated from the direct sales of our RTMS radar systems worldwide and our Autoscope video systems in Europe and Asia. Revenue is recognized when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to our customers in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services.

Certain product sales may contain multiple performance obligations for revenue recognition purposes. Multiple performance obligations may include the hardware, software, installation services, training, support, and extended warranties. In arrangements where we have multiple performance obligations, the transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation using the relative stand-alone selling price. We generally determine stand-alone selling prices based on the observable stand-alone prices charged to customers. For performance obligations without observable stand-alone prices charged to customers, we evaluate the adjusted market assessment approach and the expected cost plus margin approach to estimate the stand-alone selling prices.

Revenue for services such as maintenance, repair, and technical support is recognized either as the service is performed or ratably over the defined contractual period for service maintenance contracts. From time to time our payment terms may vary by the type and location of our customer and the products or services offered. Revenue for extended warranties is deferred until the coverage period and then recognized ratably over the extended warranty term.

We record deferred revenues when cash payments are received or due in advance of our performance, including amounts which are refundable. The term between invoicing and when payment is due is not significant. For certain products or services and customer types, we require payment before the products or services are delivered to the customer.

We record provisions against sales revenue for estimated returns and allowances in the period when the related revenue is recorded based on historical sales returns and changes in end user demand.

Royalties:

Econolite Control Products, Inc. (“Econolite”) is our licensee that sells our Autoscope video system products in the United States, Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean. The royalty of approximately 50% of the gross profit on licensed products is recognized when the products are shipped or delivered by Econolite to its customers.

Practical Expedients and Exemptions:

We generally expense sales commissions when incurred because the amortization periods would have been one year or less. These costs are recorded within sales and marketing expense.

We do not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations for (i) contracts with an original expected length of one year or less and (ii) contracts for which we recognize revenue at the amount to which we have the right to invoice for services performed.

SHIPPING AND HANDLING

Freight revenue billed to customers is reported within revenue on the Consolidated Statements of Operations, and expenses incurred for shipping products to customers are reported within cost of revenue on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

We consider all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents, both inside and outside the United States, are invested in money market funds and bank deposits in local currency denominations. Cash located in foreign banks was $201,000 and $715,000 at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. We hold our cash and cash equivalents with financial institutions and, at times, the amounts of our balances may be in excess of deposit insurance limits.

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE

We grant credit to customers in the normal course of business and generally do not require collateral from domestic customers. When deemed appropriate, receivables from customers outside the United States are supported by letters of credit from financial institutions. Management performs on‑going credit evaluations of customers. The allowance for doubtful accounts is based on management’s assessment of the collectability of specific customer accounts and includes consideration of the credit worthiness and financial condition of those specific customers. We record an allowance to reduce receivables to the amount that is reasonably believed to be collectible and consider factors such as the financial condition of the customer and the aging of the receivables. If there is a deterioration of a customer’s financial condition, if we become aware of additional information related to the credit worthiness of a customer, or if future actual default rates on trade receivables in general differ from those currently anticipated, we may have to adjust our allowance for doubtful accounts, which would affect earnings in the period the adjustments were made.

INVENTORIES

Inventories are primarily electronic components and finished goods and are valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value determined under the first‑in, first‑out accounting method.

PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT

Property and equipment are stated at cost. Additions, replacements, and improvements are capitalized at cost, while maintenance and repairs are charged to operations as incurred. Depreciation is recorded using the straight‑line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets and by accelerated methods for income tax purposes. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the shorter of the estimated useful lives of the assets or the contractual term of the lease, with consideration of lease renewal options if renewal appears probable. Useful lives of the furniture and fixtures, leasehold improvements, and equipment range from three to seven years. The useful life of the real property is 30 years.

On August 27, 2021 (the "Effective Date"), ISNS, and TJ&Z Family Limited Partnership, a Minnesota limited partnership ("TJ&Z"), entered into a Purchase Agreement (the "Original Agreement") under which ISNS purchased certain real and personal property (the "Property") from TJ&Z for a total purchase price of $2,050,000, subject to adjustments if certain conditions were not satisfied (the "Purchase Price"). The Property includes land and a building located at 1115 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota (the "Real Property"). The Agreement also provides for the sale by TJ&Z to ISNS of all of TJ&Z's interest under a billboard lease for a billboard located on the Real Property, business records related to the Real Property, and certain personal property located on the Real Property, all as described in the Original Agreement. The Original Agreement gave ISNS 60 days after the Effective Date (the "Inspection Period") during which to undertake any studies, tests, investigations, and inspections of the Property. Effective as of October 26, 2021, ISNS and TJ&Z entered into the First Amendment to Purchase Agreement (the "First Amendment") that, among other things, extended the Inspection Period from October 26, 2021 to November 26, 2021, as to certain conditions only. (The Original Agreement as amended by the First Amendment, is referred to as the "Purchase Agreement"). The First Amendment effectively extended the closing date to December 13, 2021, and required ISNS to pay $50,000 in earnest money in addition to the $50,000 in earnest money already paid by ISNS under the Purchase Agreement. On December 10, 2021, ISNS closed (the "Closing") on the purchase of the Property under the terms of the Purchase Agreement and a loan in the original principal amount of $1,742,500 (the "Loan") from Coulee Bank to ISNS to finance the purchase of the Property. In addition to the $100,000 in earnest money paid by ISNS as described above and the $1,742,500 in Loan proceeds, at the Closing, ISNS paid $230,119 to finance the purchase of the Property and the payment of Closing costs. ISNS fully occupied the Property in February 2022.

The foregoing description of the Original Agreement and the First Amendment does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Purchase Agreement and First Amendment filed as Exhibit 10.17 and Exhibit 10.18, respectively, to this Annual Report on Form 10-K and incorporated herein by reference

INCOME TAXES

We record a tax provision for the anticipated tax consequences of the reported results of operations. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the currently enacted tax rates that apply to taxable income in effect for the years in which those deferred tax assets and liabilities are expected to be realized or settled. We record a valuation allowance to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount that is believed more likely than not to be realized. We believe it is more likely than not that forecasted income, including income that may be generated as a result of certain tax planning strategies, together with the tax effects of the deferred tax liabilities, will be sufficient to fully recover the remaining net realizable value of deferred tax assets. If all or part of the net deferred tax assets are determined not to be realizable in the future, an adjustment to the valuation allowance would be charged to earnings in the period such determination is made. In addition, the calculation of tax liabilities involves significant judgment in estimating the impact of uncertainties in the application of complex tax laws. Resolution of these uncertainties in a manner inconsistent with management’s expectations could have a material impact on our financial condition and operating results. We recognize penalties and interest expense related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense.

INTANGIBLE ASSETS

We capitalize certain software development costs related to software to be sold, leased, or otherwise marketed. Capitalized software development costs include purchased materials, services, internal labor and other costs associated with the development of new products and services. Software development costs are expensed as incurred until technological feasibility has been established, at which time future costs incurred are capitalized until the product is available for general release to the public. Based on our product development process, technological feasibility is generally established once product and detailed program designs have been completed, uncertainties related to high-risk development issues have been resolved through coding and testing, and we have established that the necessary skills, hardware, and software technology are available for production of the product. Once a software product is available for general release to the public, capitalized development costs associated with that product will begin to be amortized to cost of sales over the product’s estimated economic selling life, using the greater of straight-line or a method that results in cost recognition in future periods that is consistent with the anticipated timing of product revenue recognition.

Capitalized software development costs are subject to an ongoing assessment of recoverability, which is impacted by estimates and assumptions of future revenues and expenses for these software products, as well as other factors such as changes in product technologies. Any portion of unamortized capitalized software development costs that are determined to be in excess of net realizable value have been expensed in the period in which such a determination is made. Subsequent to reaching technological feasibility for certain software products, we capitalized approximately $485,000 and $22,000 of software development costs during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Intangible assets with finite lives are amortized on a straight‑line basis over the expected period to be benefited by future cash flows and reviewed for impairment. At both December 31, 2021 and 2020, there were no indefinite‑lived intangible assets.

IMPAIRMENT OF LONG‑LIVED ASSETS

We review the carrying value of long‑lived assets or asset groups, such as property and equipment and intangibles subject to amortization, when events or changes in circumstances such as asset utilization, physical change, legal factors, or other matters indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. When this review indicates the carrying value of an asset or asset group exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset or asset group, we recognize an asset impairment charge against operations. The amount of the impairment loss recorded is the amount by which the carrying value of the impaired asset or asset group exceeds its fair value. No such impairment losses were recorded during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Research and development costs associated with new products are charged to operations in the period incurred.

WARRANTIES

We generally provide a two- to three-year warranty on product sales. We record estimated warranty costs at the time of sale and accrue for specific items at the time that their existence is known and the amounts are determinable. We estimate warranty costs using standard quantitative measures based on historical warranty claim experience and an evaluation of specific customer warranty issues. In addition, warranty provisions are recognized for certain nonrecurring product claims that are individually significant.

FOREIGN CURRENCY

The financial position and results of operations of our foreign subsidiaries are measured using local currency as the functional currency. Assets and liabilities are translated using fiscal period‑end exchange rates, and statements of operations are translated using average exchange rates applicable to each period, with the resulting translation adjustments recorded as a separate component of shareholders’ equity under “Accumulated other comprehensive loss.” Gains and losses from foreign currency transactions are recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

NET INCOME PER SHARE

Basic income per share excludes dilution and is computed by dividing net income attributable to common shareholders by the weighted‑average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted income per share includes potentially dilutive common shares consisting of stock options and restricted stock using the treasury stock method. Under the treasury stock method, shares associated with certain stock options have been excluded from the diluted weighted average shares outstanding calculation because the exercise of those options would lead to a net reduction in common shares outstanding. As a result, stock options to acquire 2,000 and 15,320 weighted common shares have been excluded from the diluted weighted shares outstanding calculation for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, because the exercise prices were greater than the average market price of the common shares during the period and were excluded from the calculation of diluted net income per share.

LOSS CONTINGENCIES

We establish an accrual for loss contingencies when it is both probable that an asset has been impaired or a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. When loss contingencies are not probable and cannot be reasonably estimated, we do not establish an accrual. However, when there is at least a reasonable possibility that a loss has been incurred, but it is not probable or reasonably estimated, we disclose the nature of the loss contingency and an estimate of the possible loss or range of loss as applicable. Any adjustment made to a loss contingency accrual during an accounting period affects the earnings of the period.

USE OF ESTIMATES

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expense during the reporting period. Predicting future events is inherently an imprecise activity and, as such, requires the use of judgment. Ultimate results could differ from those estimates. Changes in these estimates will be reflected in the financial statements in future periods. Significant estimates include warranty reserves, allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory reserves, and the valuation of deferred tax assets.

STOCK‑BASED COMPENSATION

We measure the cost of employee services received in exchange for the award of equity instruments based on the fair value of the award at the date of grant and recognize the cost over the period during which an employee is required to provide services in exchange for the award. Stock options or awards are granted at exercise prices equal to the closing market price of our stock on the day before the date of grant.

For purposes of determining the estimated fair value of stock options, we utilize a Black‑Scholes option pricing model, which requires the input of certain assumptions requiring management judgment. Because our employee stock option awards have characteristics significantly different from those of traded options, and because changes in the input assumptions can materially affect fair value estimates, existing models may not provide a reliable single measure of the fair value of employee stock options. Management will continue to assess the assumptions and methodologies used to calculate estimated fair value of stock‑based compensation. Circumstances may change and additional data may become available over time that could result in changes to these assumptions and methodologies and thereby materially impact the fair value determination of future grants of stock‑based payment awards. If factors change and we employ different assumptions in future periods, the compensation expense recorded may differ significantly from the stock‑based compensation expense recorded in the current period.

RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

Accounting pronouncements recently adopted

In August 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU No. 2018-13, "Fair Value Measurements (Topic 820)" ("ASU 2018-13'). ASU 2018-13 eliminates, amends and adds disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. The standard is required to be adopted for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within that annual period, which is our fiscal year 2020. We adopted these changes as of January 1, 2020; however, there are no required changes that apply to our fair value measurements disclosures.