This paper makes statistical analysis on the patents in force as of the end of 2011. On this basis, the fundamental situation of both domestic and foreign patents in force was mastered and analyzed .

Energy constrains were the critical factors for the life cycle of smart sensing terminals which were the core foundation of the Internet of Things. The global relevant patents were analyzed. And the characteristics of current patent activity were disclosed to determine the technical elements and significant research directions. The potential intellectual property risks and future developing trends were discussed to provide hints for R&D strategydeveloping and decision-making. The Thomson Scientific's data analysis tool TDA (Thomson Data Analyzer), TI(Thomson Innovation) platform and the CAS National Science Library's patent analysis online 2.0 were employed as the main analytical tools wherein.