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U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)
     
[ X ]   ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2002
or
     
[   ]   TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from _______________ to _______________

Commission File Number 0-22182

PATRIOT SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
     
Delaware   84-1070278

 
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)   (I.R.S. Empl. Ident. No.)
     
10989 Via Frontera, San Diego, California   92127

 
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code): (858) 674-5000

Securities registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act: NONE
Securities registered under Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act:

Common Stock, $.00001 par value
(Title of Class)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1 ) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. YES [X] NO [   ]

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. [ X ]

The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant on August 26, 2002 was $4,821,423 based on a closing bid price of $0.065 as reported on the OTC Electronic Bulletin Board system.

At August 26, 2002, 81,465,757 shares of common stock, par value $.00001 per share (the registrant’s only class of voting stock) were outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE:

None

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I
Item 1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS
Item 2. DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY
Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Item 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS
PART II
Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
Item 6. SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Item 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURE ABOUT MARKET RISK
Item 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.
Item 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
PART III
Item 10. DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT
Item 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Item 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
Item 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
PART IV
Item 14. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES, AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K
EXHIBIT 23.1
EXHIBIT 23.2
EXHIBIT 99.8
EXHIBIT 99.9


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS
                 
            Page
           
       
PART I
       
ITEM 1.  
Description of Business
    3  
ITEM 2.  
Description of Property
    14  
ITEM 3.  
Legal Proceedings
    14  
ITEM 4.  
Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
    15  
       
PART II
       
ITEM 5.  
Market for Registrant’s Common Equity and Related
Stockholder Matters
    15  
ITEM 6.  
Selected Consolidated Financial Data
    15  
ITEM 7.  
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations
    16  
ITEM 7A.  
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
    27  
ITEM 8.  
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
    27  
ITEM 9.  
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on
Accounting and Financial Disclosure
    28  
       
PART III
       
ITEM 10.  
Directors, Executive Officers of the Registrant
    29  
ITEM 11.  
Executive Compensation
    30  
ITEM 12.  
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management
    34  
ITEM 13.  
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions
    36  
       
PART IV
       
ITEM 14.  
Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules, and Reports on Form 8-K
    37  

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DISCLOSURE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K, including all documents incorporated by reference, includes “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and we desire to take advantage of the “safe harbor” provisions thereof. Therefore, we are including this statement for the express purpose of availing ourselves of the protections of such safe harbor with respect to all of such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this Report reflect our current views with respect to future events and financial performance. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including specifically the absence of significant revenues, a history of losses, no assurance that technology can be completed or that our completion will not be delayed, significant competition, the uncertainty of patent and proprietary rights, uncertainty as to royalty payments and indemnification risks, possible adverse effects of future sales of shares on the market, trading risks of low-priced stocks and those other risks and uncertainties discussed herein, that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated. In this report, the words “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “future” and similar expressions identify certain of the forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained herein, which speak only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date hereof. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this section.

PART I

Item 1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

The Company

     Patriot Scientific Corporation was organized under Delaware law on March 24, 1992, as the successor by merger to Patriot Financial Corporation, a Colorado corporation incorporated on June 10, 1987. Our address is 10989 Via Frontera, San Diego, California 92127, and our telephone number is (858) 674-5000. Our home page can be located on the World Wide Web at http://www.ptsc.com.

     We develop, market, and sell microprocessors, our technology behind the microprocessors, and complimentary products which enable computers and other data processing devices to communicate. These products can be used to connect to the Internet or other telecommunication networks. The microprocessor technology product line accounted for approximately 3% of our revenue in fiscal 2002. The balance of our 2002 revenue was generated from a communication product line that, subsequent to a completed last buy program, is generating minimal revenue. We also have a patent for special radar technology which, if fully developed, may allow a potential licensee to penetrate the ground or structures to find various objects. We also owned gas plasma antenna technology which we sold for $250,000 in August 1999. We potentially could receive up to an additional $250,000 from the sale of the gas plasma technology in the form of royalties. Our strategy is to exploit our microprocessor technologies through product sales, licensing, and strategic alliances.

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     In 1997, we emerged from the development stage primarily as a result of the acquisition of Metacomp Inc. There can be no assurance that we can achieve profitable operations, and we may need additional financial resources during the next twelve months.

Background

     In February 1989, we completed our initial public offering under a registration statement on Form S-18 under the Securities Act of 1933. This offering raised gross proceeds of $50,000 and net proceeds of approximately $28,640 upon the sale of 2,500,000 units at $.02 per unit. Each unit sold in the public offering consisted of one common share and one Class A common stock purchase warrant exercisable to acquire one share of common stock and one Class B common stock purchase warrant. All Class A and Class B warrants have since been exercised or have lapsed.

     On May 12, 1992, we redomiciled ourselves from Colorado to Delaware by merging into a wholly owned Delaware subsidiary, Patriot Scientific Corporation, organized for that purpose. The reincorporation resulted in a reverse stock split. Three shares of the Colorado corporation, par value $.00001, were converted into one share of the Delaware corporation, par value $.00001. The reincorporation also effected a change in our charter and bylaws and a name change to Patriot Scientific Corporation.

     In May 1993, we registered under the Securities Act of 1933 a total of 7,631,606 shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding Class A and Class B common stock purchase warrants. We received net proceeds of $3,343,915 upon the exercise of those warrants and the issuance of 7,538,102 common shares. None of such warrants remain outstanding.

     Effective May 31, 1994, we entered into an asset purchase agreement and plan of reorganization with nanoTronics Corporation located in Eagle Point, Oregon and Helmut Falk. We issued a total of 8,500,000 restricted common shares to nanoTronics to acquire certain microprocessor technology of nanoTronics. The technology acquired was used to develop a sophisticated yet low cost microprocessor. 5,000,000 of the shares were issued on a non-contingent basis, and the remaining 3,500,000 shares were issued subject to the terms of an earnout escrow arrangement, which concluded on May 31, 1999.

     Effective December 26, 1996, we acquired 96.9% of the outstanding shares of Metacomp, Inc., a California corporation, from 56 shareholders in exchange for the issuance of 1,272,068 shares of our common stock. Based on the closing price of our common stock of $1.375 on the date of the acquisition, the price of the acquisition was $1,749,094. This business combination was accounted for as a pooling-of-interests.

Business

     Organization and Corporate Development. Our business involves the following technologies:

          Ignite microprocessor technology,
 
          JUICEtechnology,
 
          high-speed data communications technology, and
 
          radar technology.

     The stages of development of our technologies is as follows:

          Ignite microprocessor. This technology is generating minor amounts of revenue from the sale of development boards, microprocessors and initial license fees related to the microprocessor application. We run the technology on a 0.35-micron microprocessor, which is in current production. We have ported the WindRiver VxWorks operating system and the Sun Microsystems personalJava virtual machine to the microprocessor. In addition, the technology is available for sale as intellectual property which enables the prospective customer to incorporate the microprocessor functions with other parties’ applications to arrive at a system on a chip solution. Although we anticipate the Ignite technology to be our main product line, it currently accounts for only 3% of our revenue in fiscal year 2002.

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          JUICEtechnology. This technology was introduced to address the need to conserve power in embedded applications by varying the speed at which any microprocessor processes data. By varying the speed of the microprocessor, battery life can be significantly expanded thereby enhancing the users internet experience on a variety of handheld devices including cell phones, smart phones, pocket PCs and personal digital assistants. There has been no revenue generated from this product as of yet.
 
          High-speed data communications. Revenue from this technology was phased out during fiscal year 2002 as a result of the products reaching the end of their life cycles. During fiscal 2002 we initiated a last time buy program and except for minor repeat orders have discontinued to sell this product line. We have decided to concentrate our efforts on the Ignite microprocessor and JUICEtechnology. Although the communications product line accounted for approximately 97% of our fiscal year 2002 revenue, we anticipate that the Ignite microprocessor and JUICEtechnology will be our main product lines in the future.
 
          Radar and antenna. We sold the gas plasma antenna technology in August 1999. Our radar technology has not generated any revenue and we have suspended further development of this technology in order to concentrate our resources on our Ignite and JUICEtechnology products.

     Due to our small size and staffing overlaps among the technologies, certain personnel may work on any or all of our technologies from time to time.

     During at least the last three years, we have focused the majority of our efforts on the Ignite and high-speed data communications technologies. The Ignite technology is targeted for the embedded controller and Java language processor marketplaces.

     Internet Growth and the Emergence of the Java Programming Language. The Internet is a global web of computer networks. This “network of networks” allows computers connected to the Internet to “talk” to one another. The Internet provides organizations and individuals with new means to conduct business. Commercial uses of the Internet include business-to-business and business-to-consumer transactions, product marketing, advertising, entertainment, electronic publishing, electronic services and customer support. We believe that organizations will also increasingly use the Internet and private Intranet networks to improve communications, distribute information, lower operating costs and change operations. Use of the Internet has grown rapidly impacting computer hardware, software and peripheral industries. The rapid growth in popularity of the Internet is in part due to continuing penetration of computers and modems into U.S. households, growth of the informational, entertainment and commercial applications and resources of the Internet, the growing awareness of such resources among individuals, and the increasing availability of user-friendly navigational and utility tools which enable easier access to the Internet’s resources.

     The growth of the Internet and corporate Intranets is creating a demand for hardware, software and peripherals. Software, such as Java, has been developed to serve the requirements of Internet users.

     Java is a programming language that was originally developed for personal digital assistant devices and television set top boxes. It was formally announced as an object-oriented language for the Internet in May 1995 by Sun Microsystems Inc. A large number of major computer, software, browser and on-line service provider companies have licensed the Java language. Accordingly, Java is a fundamental platform for Internet related applications. A significant number of Java applications, or applets, are now available on the Internet. These applications not only enhance web pages but also perform many functions of traditional computer software programs. Our Ignite technology lends itself to potential markets in which the use of Java is prevalent.

     With Java, data and programs do not have to be stored on the user’s computer, but can reside anywhere on the Internet to be called upon as needed. Among its various attributes, two key features of Java are (1) its ability to run on a variety of computer operating systems thus avoiding the problem of incompatibility across networks, and (2) security, because Java enables the construction of virus-resistant, tamper-resistant systems by using resource-access control and public-key encryption. Because of Java’s useful features, it has also become a popular programming language for embedded applications.

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     Since Java is designed to run on multiple types of devices and operating systems, it allows developers to write a program once for many types of operating systems, instead of having to write new versions for each type. Java does this by interpreting a program’s commands into something that a particular type of computer can understand. This interpretive design runs programs slower than if they were tailored for each type of computer and is resulting in a need for specialized microprocessors and compilers to increase Java’s speed.

     The growth of Java is causing a number of companies to consider it as a basis for a new style of computing tailored to the Internet and not encumbered by the limitations of, or requiring, traditional computer operating systems. The concept is to design inexpensive access devices to communicate via the Internet.

Our Microprocessor Technology.

     General Background. In 1991, nanoTronics Corporation was formed and acquired a base technology for an advanced microprocessor integrated on a single computer chip. nanoTronics subsequently engaged in substantial technical development and fabricated a first-generation microprocessor in early 1994.

     Since the acquisition of the technology from nanoTronics, effective May 31, 1994, we have been engaged in enhancing the microprocessor design, adding additional technical features to further modernize the design, and improving and testing the new design. We initially fabricated a prototype 0.8-micron microprocessor in May 1996. The next generation was a 0.5-micron microprocessor that was delivered in September 1997. The 0.5-micron microprocessor was employed in demonstrations for prospective customers and was shipped in limited numbers to customers as an embedded microprocessor. In 1998 we introduced a 0.35-micron microprocessor whose features included a reduction in size and improved performance. In addition, in September 2000 we completed a VHDL model of this technology which enables customers to purchase intellectual property incorporating microprocessor functions with other parties’ applications to arrive at a system on a chip solution. By purchasing this software model, customers can significantly reduce their time to market by simulating results as opposed to trial and error commitment to silicon production. We are currently working on a 0.18-micron enhancement of silicon production for our Ignite microprocessor technology.

     Industry Background. The semiconductor logic market has three major sectors:

          standard logic products,
 
          application specific standard products, and
 
          application specific integrated circuits.

     Standard logic products, such as the Intel’s X86 and Pentium and Motorola’s 680X0 microprocessor families, are neither application nor customer specific. They are intended to be utilized by a large group of systems designers for a broad range of applications. Because they are designed to be used in a broad array of applications, they may not be cost effective for specific applications. Application specific integrated circuits are designed to meet the specific application of one customer. While cost effective for that application, application specific integrated circuits require large sales volumes of that application to recover their development costs. Application specific standard processors are developed for one or more applications but are not generally proprietary to one customer. Examples of these applications include modems, cellular telephones, wireless communications, multimedia applications, facsimile machines and local area networks. We have designed our microprocessor to be combined with application specific software to serve as an embedded control product for the application specific standard processor market sector.

     Application specific standard processors are typically used in embedded control systems by manufacturers to provide an integrated solution for application specific control requirements. Such systems usually contain a microprocessor or microcontroller, logic circuitry, memory and input/output circuitry. Electronic system manufacturers combine one or more of these elements to fit a specific application. The microprocessor provides the intelligence to control the system. The logic circuitry provides functions specific to the end application. The input/output circuitry may also be application specific or an industry standard component. The memory element, if not on the microprocessor, is usually a standard product used to store program instructions and data. In the past, these functions have been executed through multiple integrated circuits assembled on a printed circuit board. The requirements for reduced cost and improved system performance have created market opportunities for semiconductor suppliers to integrate some or all of these elements into a single application specific standard processor or chip set, such as the Ignite family of

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microprocessors. The Ignite family provides close integration of the microprocessor and input/output function with the logic circuitry, thereby providing an advanced application specific standard processor.

     Embedded control systems enable manufacturers to differentiate their products, replace less efficient electromechanical control devices, add product functionality and reduce product costs. In addition, embedded control systems facilitate the emergence of completely new classes of products. Embedded control systems have been incorporated into thousands of products and subassemblies worldwide, including automotive systems, remote controls, appliances, portable computers and devices, cordless and cellular telephones, motor controls and many other systems.

     Microprocessors are generally available in 4-bit through 64-bit architectures, which refers to the amount of data they can process. 4-bit microprocessors are relatively inexpensive, typically less than $1.00 each. Although they lack certain performance and features, they account for more than 40% of worldwide microcontroller volume. Also in general use today are 8-bit architectures, generally costing $1.00 to $10.00 each and accounting for an additional 40% of worldwide microcontroller volume. To date 16-bit, 32-bit and 64-bit architectures, with typical costs of over $10.00 each, have offered very high performance, but are generally considered to be expensive for high-volume embedded control applications. The use of 16-bit, 32-bit and 64-bit architectures offers fewer internal limitations, making programming easier and providing higher performance. Although generally more expensive per unit and requiring more support logic and memory, these devices offer many advantages for more sophisticated embedded control systems.

     Electronic system designers, driven by competitive market forces, seek semiconductor products with more intelligence, functionality and control that can be used to reduce system costs and improve performance. For these needs, the Ignite product family was designed to be a sophisticated 32-bit microprocessor with advanced features. The Ignite product family uses a smaller number of transistors compared to other RISC processors which results in less power consumption and more economical prices compared to other embedded control applications. This creates the opportunity for the development of new, cost-effective applications.

     Technology Description. Conventional high-performance microprocessors are register-based with large register sets. These registers are directly addressable storage locations requiring a complex architecture that consumes costly silicon. This conventional architecture provides processing power for computer applications but complicates and slows the execution of individual instructions and increases silicon size, thereby increasing the microprocessor cost.

     Our technology is fundamentally different from most other microprocessors in that the data is stored in groups. Our microprocessor employs certain features of both register and stack designs. The resultant merged stack-register architecture improves program execution for a wide range of embedded applications. Our design combines two processors in one highly integrated package, a microprocessing unit for performing conventional processing tasks, and an input-output processor for performing input-output functions. This replaces many dedicated peripheral functions supplied with other processors. The microprocessor’s design simplifies the manipulation of data. Our architecture employs instructions that are shrunk from 32-bits to 8-bits. This simplified instruction scheme improves execution speed for computer instructions. Our architecture incorporates many on-chip system functions, thus eliminating the requirement of support microprocessors and reducing system cost to users.

     The 0.8-micron microprocessor was designed to operate at a speed of 50Mhz; the 0.5-micron microprocessor at a speed of 100Mhz; the 0.35-micron microprocessor at 150MHz; and the 0.18-micron to operate at speeds in excess of 300Mhz. They are all compatible with a wide range of memory technology from low cost dynamic random access memory to high-speed static random access memory. The microprocessors can be packaged in various surface-mount and die-form packaging. There can be no assurance that the designed speed will be achieved with production models of the 0.5 or 0.18-micron microprocessors or future versions or that all of the desired functions will perform as anticipated.

     Our technology is not designed or targeted to compete with high-end processors for use in personal computers. It is targeted for embedded control applications. We believe that the features described above differentiate the Ignite family from other 8-bit to 64-bit microprocessors targeted for embedded control applications. Considering the reduced requirement for support microprocessors, the Ignite family is intended to be available at a high volume price that should be price competitive with high-end 8-bit microprocessor and general 16-bit microprocessor systems but with higher performance (speed and functional capability). The Ignite family has been designed to allow high-speed and high-yield fabrication using generally available wafer fabrication technology and facilities.

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     The Ignite Microprocessor as a Java Processor. We believe the Ignite microprocessor architecture is capable of being an efficient and cost effective Java programming language processor, because Java is designed to run on a stack-oriented architecture and the Ignite architecture executes the virtual stack machine internal to Java efficiently. Many Java operation codes or instructions require only a single 8-bit Ignite family instruction to be executed, providing a performance advantage over other more expensive processors that require six or more 32-bit instructions to do the same task. This feature allows the execution of Java programs with increased speed and reduced code size thereby enabling lower system memory costs. In addition, the incorporation of many on-chip system functions is expected to allow the Ignite family to perform most of the other functions required of an Internet computer device or Java accelerator, thereby eliminating components. Since Internet computers are designed to be inexpensive appliances for Internet access, cost, speed and performance are expected to be key requirements for designers. We believe the Ignite technology can compete favorably on the basis of such requirements, although there can be no assurance we can successfully exploit Java related applications or that competitors will not create superior Java processors.

     We have ported the Java operating environment to the Ignite family, which currently uses the C programming language for software support. We are a licensee of Sun Microsystems Inc. This enables us to develop and distribute products based on Sun’s personalJava, a platform on which to run Java applications. We have also licensed from Wind River an operating system, VxWorks, and entered into a relationship with Forth Inc. whereby Forth will provide software support and operating system development tools for the Forth Programming language. We expect that successful implementation of this software should result in a microprocessor which is competitive in the Java virtual machine and embedded applications markets. We believe that, if the implementation is successfully completed, the Ignite I family will be competitive with Java microprocessors announced by competitors. However, there can be no assurance of successful implementation of this package of software or of a market for an Ignite family Java microprocessor.

     Stage of Development. In early 1994, nanoTronics initiated production of a first generation of wafers at a contract fabrication facility using 6 inch wafers employing 0.8-micron double-metal CMOS technology. After the May 31, 1994 acquisition, we improved the original design, added new features and performed simulations and tests of the improved designs. In October 1995, a run of six wafers of second generation 0.8-micron microprocessors was fabricated by a contract fabrication facility. Subsequently, we tested these microprocessors, while completing a C computer language compiler and preparing application development tools. The compiler and application development tools are necessary to enable system designers to program the Ignite family for specific applications. We made corrections to the design suggested by the testing of prototype units and produced an additional run of second generation microprocessors from remaining wafers in May 1996. In July 1996, we employed these microprocessors in demonstration boards for use by developers and prospective customers and licensees.

     In December 1997, we completed development of and started shipping a 0.5-micron microprocessor based on the Ignite technology and found that 0.5-micron double-metal CMOS technology improved operating speed, reduced power requirements, reduced physical size and reduced fabrication cost. In May 1998, we began a production run of a 0.35-micron microprocessor that further increased operating speed and cost performance over the previous generations of the Ignite family of microprocessors.

     At each stage of development, microprocessors require extensive testing to ascertain performance limitations and the extent and nature of errors (bugs), if any. When significant limitations or errors are discovered, additional rounds of design modifications and fabrication are required prior to having functional and demonstrable microprocessors for prospective customers and licensees. Although our 0.5 and 0.35-micron microprocessors have been sent to prospective customers in anticipation of production orders, there can be no assurance that we, during our continued testing of these products, will not identify errors requiring additional rounds of design and fabrication prior to commercial production. Additional delays could have an adverse effect on the marketability of our technology and financial condition.

     In September 2000, we completed the VHDL soft-core version of the Ignite microprocessor family. The hardware design inside a microprocessor, or silicon device, can be represented as a software program. This, in essence, replaces the old style of designing microprocessors using schematics. VHDL is the predominant software language used to design semiconductors. In addition to the design aspects, VHDL also contains sophisticated simulation tools that allow the designer to simulate the functionality of the entire design before committing to silicon. Also VHDL enables a designer to easily modify and enhance the design. A design represented in VHDL goes through a synthesis process

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whereby it is converted to the most basic element of a design, logical gates. This gate level representation in turn is used with computer aided engineering tools to translate the design into the most fundamental component of semiconductors, transistors. The characteristics of the transistors can be given as a library to a foundry. Therefore, a design represented in VHDL is technology and foundry independent and can be targeted for any given transistor geometry (such as 0.18, 0.25, or 0.35- micron) for any foundry of choice.

     We have developed marketing materials, product manuals and application development tools for use by licensees and customers. The manuals and tools are necessary to enable system designers to quickly and easily program the Ignite family for specific applications.

     We believe that the Ignite family is ready for licensing or sale and that any additional changes encountered in current testing will be minor and can be made during subsequent production runs of Ignite family microprocessors for customers, when and if orders are obtained. We also believe the core technology is ready for licensing for use by others to develop custom multiple function microprocessors.

     Business Strategy. The increasing demand for embedded control has made the market for microprocessors one of the largest segments of the semiconductor logic market. This demand will drive the need for embedded processors. Our strategy does not entail competing directly with suppliers who have multiple microprocessor types addressing all parts of the embedded systems market, but on identifying certain market niches that the Ignite would best address due to its low cost, low power consumption and small number of transistors.

     Because of the above factors, we intend to focus the majority of our efforts on the embedded microprocessor business, a market without an established base of microprocessor products and for which we believe the Ignite has desirable technical and market advantages.

     We believe that our architecture is suited for controller applications requiring high performance and low system cost, such as cell phones, printers, video terminals, robotics, motion controllers, industrial controllers, digital communication devices, video games, kiosks, cable and satellite modems and TV set top boxes. We expect that early licensing of the technology and product applications will focus on embedded control.

     We have three international distributors for foreign markets and are addressing the domestic market with an in-house business development person. We also have a strategic alliance with an outside microprocessor design house.

     We believe the appropriate approach for us initially lies in a balanced effort of cultivating licensees and developing specific product enhancement partnerships, producing original equipment manufactured products, and providing technical support to third parties on a contract basis. The overall balance of these approaches will be monitored and modified as we attempt to ascertain and capitalize on the highly dynamic and competitive embedded microprocessor market. There can be no assurance that we can successfully exploit our microprocessor technology.

     Subject to the availability of financial and personnel resources, while we are commercializing the Ignite family and the core technology, our strategy is to also design and develop future versions of the microprocessor with more demanding sub-micron technology and with more features. However, our resources are limited, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to continue microprocessor enhancement.

     Initial fabrications of the 0.8-micron and 0.5-micron processors were performed by contract fabrication facilities. The 0.35-micron microprocessor was fabricated by a contract fabrication facility that had agreed to provide production quantities for our customers. We are currently working with a contract fabrication facility and our design house partner to produce a 0.18-micron version of the Ignite. There can be no assurance fabrication facilities will be available to produce the Ignite family in the future. However, since there are a large number of fabrication facilities with the capability to produce the Ignite family of microprocessors, we believe microprocessors can be produced on a contract basis. Industry shortages of fabrication facilities that may exist and are predicted to exist in the future are generally limited to the more demanding architectures. If a shortage of fabrication facilities develops, it could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.

     Competition. The semiconductor industry is intensely competitive and has been characterized by price erosion, rapid technological change and foreign competition in many markets. The industry consists of major domestic and

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international semiconductor companies, most of which have greater financial, technical, marketing, distribution, development and other resources than ours. The market for microprocessors and for embedded control applications is at least as competitive.

     While our strategy is to target high-volume licensees and microprocessor customers requiring more sophisticated but low-cost, low-power consumption devices, we can still expect significant competition. We may also elect to develop embedded control system products utilizing our own architecture or by contract for other manufacturers.

     We expect that the Ignite family, if successfully commercialized in the embedded controller market, will compete with a variety of 16/64-bit microprocessors including those based on intellectual property from ARM and MIPS and microprocessors from Hitachi, Motorola and IBM. As a Java processor, we expect our Ignite family will compete with a broad range of microprocessors including those incorporating co-processor accelerator technology. The producers of these microprocessors have significantly greater resources than ours.

     A new entrant, such as ours, is at a competitive disadvantage compared to these and other established producers. A number of factors contribute to this, including:

          the lack of product performance experience,
 
          lack of experience by customers in using application development systems,
 
          no record of technical service and support, and
 
          limited marketing and sales capabilities.

     JUICEtechnology

     General Background. During 2001 we introduced a technology to enhance the users experience of the wireless internet by expanding the capabilities of his device (either a cell phone, PDA, smart phone or pocket PC). By varying the speed at which the microprocessor processes information, the device can present information in a richer format than is available from current technologies and, additionally, doing so with less drain on the device’s battery.

     Industry Background. The wireless industry currently provides voice and text data over airwaves ranging from 8Kbps to 19.6Kbps in North America. Voice transmissions account for the majority of wireless use, however at these band widths data content providers are limited to the type of product they are able to transmit and display on a user’s device. In addition, users are now familiar with the internet content they receive on their desk top and lap top computers provided by land lines and, therefore, may not be overly enthusiastic about inferior products provided by the wireless internet. Eventually the band width is expected to increase to over 2Mbits. When this happens, content providers will be able to transmit information to a user’s device in a way similar to existing land lines thereby meeting the user’s current expectations. These enhanced transmissions may include items such as video streaming, video mail, mobile television, video conferencing and video on demand just to name a few. In North America we are still several years away from this solution. Currently only 4% of wireless users are internet connected. Significant funds will need to be expended to procure band width and provide the infrastructure to meet the demands of next generation wireless applications. In the meantime, device manufacturers, wireless data network providers and content providers continue to attempt to attract a larger number of wireless internet subscribers with existing technology. Several areas which are having a dampening effect on attracting internet subscribers are the mobile wireless device’s small screen size and limited battery power, the user’s difficulty in interacting when using small keypads or number pads, and the network carrier’s transmission of text only or limited graphics.

     Technology Description. JUICEtechnology provides a solution for text only and limited graphics content and limited battery power. Juice allows interaction between the microprocessor contained in the user’s device and the data being transmitted by the content provider. When the content is such that increased processor speed is required to provide a better display, as would be the case in expanded graphics, the microprocessor simply increases its functioning speed. Conversely, if the content is such that the microprocessor can effectively process the content at a lower speed, then the processor slows down, thereby, conserving energy. This combination provides for both expanded battery life for the user’s device and for a richer wireless internet experience for the user.

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     Stage of Development. The engineering is complete for JUICEtechnology, however, we are awaiting significant customer interest before we commit to the development of a working model available for demonstrations and commercialization.

     Business Strategy. To launch JUICEtechnology we will need the support of a major manufacturer, wireless service provider or content supplier who can introduce the product as a defacto standard.

     Competition. Although we are not aware of any other solutions which condition data in the manner that JUICEtechnology does, there are a variety of companies that are attempting to vary the speed at which a microprocessor processes data including Intel, Hitachi, Transmeta and AMD. Some of our existing and potential competitors have substantially greater financial, technical, marketing and distribution resources than we do. Additionally, many of these companies have greater name recognition and more established relationships with our target customers. Furthermore, these competitors may be able to adopt more aggressive pricing policies and offer customers more attractive terms than we can.

     High Speed Data Communications Products.

     The communication products that reached the end of their life cycles are:
     
       VME Product Line — a line of intelligent high-speed communications engines in a virtual memory European form factor. Some of our customers for these products included the military as well as large satellite based data communications companies.
 
       Atcomm2/4 Product Line — an intelligent two or four channel product that was used for high-speed data communications.

     Except for minor repeat orders, we no longer are supporting this product line. Our strategy is to sell this product line so we may concentrate our efforts and resources on Ignite and JUICEtechnology.

     Radar and Antenna Technology.

     General Background. We commenced active development of our ground penetrating radar technology in April 1992. By May 1993, we were able to demonstrate the sensing, processing and crude visualization of images from our technology, and by May 1994 we had completed our prototype device. Since May 1994, we have focused our efforts and limited financial resources on the microprocessor technology and communication products, effectively suspending development and marketing efforts related to ground penetrating radar.

     Gas Antenna Technology Description.

     We sold our gas plasma technology in August 1999.

     Research and Development. Our current development efforts are focused on improvement of and additional features for the Ignite family microprocessor and developing the JUICEtechnology. The development of these technologies has taken longer than anticipated and could be subject to additional delays. Therefore, there can be no assurance of timely or successful marketing of these technologies.

     We incurred research and development expenditures of $1,372,421, $2,218,433 and $3,170,166 for our fiscal years ended May 31, 2002, 2001 and 2000. The majority of these expenditures have been devoted to our microprocessor technology. We believe that technical advances are essential to our success and expect that we will continue to expend substantial funds on research and development of our technology. However, there can be no assurance that such research and development efforts will result in the design and development of a competitive technology in a timely manner.

     Licenses, Patents, Trade Secrets and Other Proprietary Rights. We rely on a combination of patents, copyright and trademark laws, trade secrets, software security measures, license agreements and nondisclosure

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agreements to protect our proprietary technologies. Our policy is to seek the issuance of patents that we consider important to our business to protect inventions and technology that support our microprocessor technology.

     We have six U.S. patents issued dating back to 1989 on the microprocessor technology. We have one microprocessor technology patent pending in five European countries and one patent issued in Japan and may file additional applications under international treaties depending on an evaluation of the costs and anticipated benefits that may be obtained by expanding possible patent coverage. In addition, we have one U.S. patent issued on the ground penetrating radar technology and one U.S. patent issued on one of the communications products. We also have three patents pending related to several other development programs including JUICEtechnology.

     In addition to such factors as innovation, technological expertise and experienced personnel, we believe that a strong patent position is becoming increasingly important to compete effectively in the semiconductor industry. It may become necessary or desirable in the future for us to obtain patent and technology licenses from other companies relating to certain technology that may be employed in future products or processes. To date, we have not received notices of claimed infringement of patents based on our existing processes or products; but, due to the nature of the industry, we may receive such claims in the future. Likewise, we believe that we may have claims against other semiconductor companies should certain of our pending patents be favorably granted. However, there can be no assurance thereof or any assurance that we could successfully exploit any potential patent claims against larger competitors.

     Based on the asset purchase agreement and plan of reorganization between Patriot, nanoTronics and Mr. Falk, we were the recipients of a number of warranties and indemnities. We believe nanoTronics has been liquidated and, due to Mr. Falk’s death in July 1995, we may be limited in our ability to obtain satisfaction should we have any future claims against nanoTronics or its successor, the Falk Family Estate.

     We have entered into the following licenses related to the microprocessor technology:

          Sierra Systems. In June 1994, we entered into an agreement with Sierra Systems whereby we could provide the C programming language on the Ignite. We currently provide development boards with the C programming language.
 
          Sun Microsystems Inc. In June 1997, we entered into an agreement with Sun Microsystems, Inc. which enabled us to develop and distribute products based on Sun’s Java’s technology. In June 1998, we exercised an option under that agreement to license from Sun, personalJava, a smaller platform on which to run Java applications that did not include an operating system. We determined that personalJava was better suited to the markets available to the Ignite. We have ported personalJava to the Ignite.
 
          Wind River. In July 1997, we entered into an agreement with Wind River that provided us with a license for an operating system, VxWorks, to be used in conjunction with personalJava. We have ported VxWorks to the Ignite.
 
          Forth Inc. In July 1997, we entered into a license agreement with Forth Inc. whereby Forth will provide software support and operating system development tools for the Forth programming language. Several customers are evaluating the Ignite as a microprocessor using the Forth programming language.

     We had one U.S. patent on our gas plasma antenna technology that was sold in August 1999.

     We have one U.S. patent on our ground penetrating radar technology. No foreign application has been made. There are a large number of patents owned by others in the radar field generally and in the field of ground penetrating radar specifically. Accordingly, although we are not aware of any possible infringement and have not received any notices of claimed infringement, we may receive such claims in the future.

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     There can be no assurance that any patents will be issued from pending or future applications or that any patents that are issued will provide meaningful protection or other commercial advantages to us. Although we intend to protect our rights vigorously, there can be no assurance that these measures will be successful.

     We generally require all of our employees and consultants, including our management, to sign a non-disclosure and invention assignment agreement upon employment with us.

     Marketing and Distribution. Our products are marketed through a combination of direct sales and distributors. Approximate sales by principal geographic area (as a percentage of sales) for fiscal years ended May 31 were as follows:

                           
      2002   2001   2000
     
 
 
Domestic sales
    99 %     75 %     65 %
Foreign sales
                       
 
Asia
    %     7 %     7 %
 
Europe
    1 %     6 %     19 %
 
North America
    %     12 %     9 %
 
   
     
     
 
Total sales
    100 %     100 %     100 %
 
   
     
     
 

     All of our operating assets are located within the United States. While sales to certain geographic areas generally vary from year to year, we do not expect that changes in the geographic composition of sales will have a material adverse effect on operations.

     Dependence upon Single Customers. Ten percent (10%) or more of our consolidated net sales were derived from shipments to the following customers for the fiscal years ended May 31as follows:

                         
    2002   2001   2000
   
 
 
Advanced Relay
  $ 151,000     $     $  
Schindler
    59,000              
Raytheon
          88,000        
SAIC
          41,000        
Spellcaster
          40,000        
Intermec
                137,000  
Sipex
                138,000  
Miel
                127,000  

     All of the above sales were for communication products and were shipped against multiple purchase orders from each customer.

     We had no backlog as of July 31, 2002 compared to less than $10,000 as of July 31, 2001. The backlog as of July 31, 2001 was for the final orders related to the communication products and were shipped by the end of our second fiscal quarter which ended November 30, 2001.

     Employees. We currently have nine personnel. Four persons are employed in research and development, two in marketing and sales and three are engaged in general and administrative activities. We also engage additional consultants and part-time persons as needed from time to time.

     Our future success depends in significant part upon the continued service of our key technical and senior management personnel. The competition for highly qualified personnel is intense, and there can be no assurance that we

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will be able to retain our key managerial and technical employees or that we will be able to attract and retain additional highly qualified technical and managerial personnel in the future. None of our employees is represented by a labor union, and we consider our relations with our employees to be good. None of our employees is covered by key man life insurance policies.

     Government Regulation. To our knowledge, our products are not subject to governmental regulation by any federal, state or local agencies that would affect the manufacture, sale or use of our products, other than occupational health and safety laws and labor laws which are generally applicable to most companies. We cannot, of course, predict what sort of regulations of this type may be imposed in the future but do not anticipate any unusual difficulties in complying with governmental regulations which may be adopted in the future.

     We have not incurred costs associated with environmental laws and do not anticipate such laws will have any significant effect on our future business.

Item 2. DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY

     We have one 10,300 square foot office located at 10989 Via Frontera, San Diego, California. The facility is leased through July 2006. In July 2002, we sublet approximately 5,000 square feet of our facility to an independent third party. The term of the sublease coincides with the remaining term of our lease. The reduced floor space provides adequate and suitable facilities for all of our corporate functions. In addition, we have one employee, who supports the sales and marketing of our microprocessor, telecommute from her home in West Virginia.

Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

     In January 1999, we were sued in the Superior Court of San Diego County, California by the Fish Family Trust, a co-inventor of the original ShBoom technology. The suit also named as defendants nanoTronics and Gloria Felcyn on behalf of the Falk Family Trust. The suit sought a judgment for damages, a rescission of the Technology Transfer Agreement and a restoration of the technology to the co-inventor. In March 1999, we joined with nanoTronics and Gloria Felcyn and filed our response and cross-complaint against the Fish Family Trust. In November 2000, the judge issued a summary ruling in favor of the defendants on all counts. The Fish Family Trust filed an appeal in January 2001. Management believes that it is unlikely that the appellate court will overturn the trial court’s ruling and that the resolution of the appeal process will have no impact on our financial position, income or cash flows.

     In September 2001, an action was filed against us in the Superior Court of San Diego County, California by Richard G. Blum, our former Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Blum contends that he was wrongfully terminated on August 5, 2001 in violation of his employment agreement dated December 1, 2000. He seeks damages for the alleged breach of his employment agreement, age discrimination, as well as other related claims. Management denies Mr. Blum’s claims and contends it exercised its business judgment for legitimate nondiscriminatory reasons. In accordance with his employment agreement, we may be obligated to pay him between $0 and $400,000 as severance pay. We intend to vigorously defend our position in this case.

     In October 2001, an action was filed against us in the Superior Court of San Diego County, California by Daniel Beach, a former marketing and sales consultant whose contract we terminated in August 2001. Mr. Beach contends that we breached both a written and an oral contract, that we did not perform on certain promises, and that we made false and misleading representations in addition to other claims. In July 2002, we entered into negotiations on a settlement agreement with Mr. Beach. Management believes that it is probable that a settlement will be reached whereby we agree to pay him $50,000 over five months. Accordingly, a liability for $50,000 has been recorded in the financial statements as of May 31, 2002, in connection with this litigation.

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Item 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS

     At a Special Meeting of Shareholders held on May 6, 2002, the following proposal was approved:

1.    Proposal to approve an amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of our common stock, $.00001 par value, from 100,000,000 to 200,000,000.

                 
Votes For   Votes Against   Votes Abstaining

 
 
63,143,334
    2,042,889       163,900  

PART II

Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

     Our Common Stock is traded in the over-the-counter market and is quoted on the NASD OTC Bulletin Board system maintained by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Prices reported represent prices between dealers, do not include markups, markdowns or commissions and do not necessarily represent actual transactions. The market for our shares has been sporadic and at times very limited.

     The following table sets forth the high and low closing bid quotations for the Common Stock for the fiscal years ended May 31, 2002 and 2001.

                   
      Bid Quotations
     
      High   Low
     
 
Fiscal Year Ended May 31, 2002
               
 
First Quarter
  $ 0.53     $ 0.25  
 
Second Quarter
  $ 0.25     $ 0.10  
 
Third Quarter
  $ 0.15     $ 0.07  
 
Fourth Quarter
  $ 0.14     $ 0.07  
Fiscal Year Ended May 31, 2001
               
 
First Quarter
  $ 1.72     $ 0.65  
 
Second Quarter
  $ 1.60     $ 0.78  
 
Third Quarter
  $ 1.09     $ 0.49  
 
Fourth Quarter
  $ 0.84     $ 0.50  

     We have approximately 416 shareholders of record as of May 31, 2002. Because most of our common stock is held by brokers and other institutions on behalf of stockholders, we are unable to estimate the total number of stockholders represented by these record holders. We have never paid a cash dividend on our common stock and do not expect to pay one in the foreseeable future.

Item 6. SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

     You should read the selected consolidated financial data set forth below in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and the notes to those statements included elsewhere in this report. The selected consolidated financial data set forth below for the fiscal years ended May 31, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, and 1998 have been derived from our consolidated financial statements which have been audited by Nation Smith Hermes Diamond, independent auditors, for the year ended May 31, 2002 and BDO Seidman, LLP, independent auditors, for the preceding four years.

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        Years Ended May 31,
       
        2002   2001   2000   1999   1998
       
 
 
 
 
Statements of Operations Data:
                                       
Revenue:
                                       
 
Sales
  $ 358,809     $ 337,384     $ 716,960     $ 1,134,545     $ 1,902,874  
 
 
   
     
     
     
     
 
Costs and expenses:
                                       
 
Cost of sales
    393,980       544,320       725,008       711,195       1,163,688  
 
Research and development
    1,372,421       2,218,433       3,170,166       2,149,361       1,607,828  
 
Selling, general and administrative
    2,708,579       2,588,579       3,501,128       2,015,058       4,090,937  
 
 
   
     
     
     
     
 
   
Total costs and expenses
    4,474,980       5,351,332       7,396,302