Fair Value Measurements (Details) - USD ($) shares in Millions		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
		Nov. 30, 2014	Apr. 03, 2016	Mar. 29, 2015	Jan. 03, 2016
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Other than Temporary Impairment Losses, Investments			$ 0
Customer Advances and Deposits, Related Party			0		$ 710,000
Accrued liabilities:
Derivative financial instruments (Note 11)			10,811,000		2,316,000
Other long-term liabilities:
Derivative financial instruments (Note 11)			948,000		1,033,000
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Accounts receivable			19,116,000		32,389,000
Accounts payable			40,032,000		42,080,000
Other long-term liabilities			1,534,000		1,455,000
Notes Payable, Related Parties			29,400,000		29,389,000
Payments made to investees for products/services			123,630,000	$ 119,177,000
Restricted long-term marketable securities			6,560,000		6,475,000
Restricted long-term marketable securities			6,560,000		6,475,000
Equity method investments			177,534,000		186,405,000
Cost method investments			45,602,000		36,369,000
Accrued liabilities, related party			4,887,000		9,952,000
Revenue from sales to investees of products/services			114,645,000	$ 5,603,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents:
Money market funds	[1]		160,859,000		540,000,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets:
Derivative financial instruments (Note 11)			5,819,000		8,734,000
Other long-term assets:
Total assets			166,678,000		548,734,000
Accrued liabilities:
Derivative financial instruments (Note 11)			10,811,000		2,316,000
Other long-term liabilities:
Derivative financial instruments (Note 11)			948,000		1,033,000
Total liabilities			11,759,000		3,349,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents:
Money market funds	[1]		160,859,000		540,000,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets:
Derivative financial instruments (Note 11)			0		0
Other long-term assets:
Total assets			160,859,000		540,000,000
Accrued liabilities:
Derivative financial instruments (Note 11)			0		0
Other long-term liabilities:
Derivative financial instruments (Note 11)			0		0
Total liabilities			0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents:
Money market funds	[1]		0		0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets:
Derivative financial instruments (Note 11)			5,819,000		8,734,000
Other long-term assets:
Total assets			5,819,000		8,734,000
Accrued liabilities:
Derivative financial instruments (Note 11)			10,811,000		2,316,000
Other long-term liabilities:
Derivative financial instruments (Note 11)			948,000		1,033,000
Total liabilities			$ 11,759,000		$ 3,349,000
4.50% debentures due 2015 [Member]
Other long-term liabilities:
Interest rate			4.50%
Tendril Networks Inc [Member] | Preferred Stock [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Quantitative Information [Abstract]
Cost method investment, original cost		$ 20,000,000
Tendril Networks Inc [Member] | Common Stock [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Quantitative Information [Abstract]
Cost method investment, agreement to purchase additional interest (in shares)		14
SunPower Inc [Member] | Tendril Networks Inc [Member] | Master Services Agreement and Statement of Works [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Quantitative Information [Abstract]
Cost method investments, joint investment in development project		$ 13,000,000

[1] 1 The Company's cash equivalents consist of money market fund instruments and commercial paper that are classified as available-for-sale and are highly liquid investments with original maturities of 90 days or less. The Company's money market fund instruments are categorized within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy because they are valued using quoted market prices for identical instruments in active markets.