The number of patent applications is often used as a tool to measure university innovation. However, the motivations of university teachers to apply for patents are diversified. It is unreasonable to simply use the number of patent applications to measure university innovation activities. On the basis of combing the relevant literature, we divided university teachers' patent application motivations into three categories: motivation based on protection of innovation achievements, motivation based on personal ability display, and motivation based on organizational management evaluation. Based on the questionnaire survey data of 13 domestic college teachers , Use the Ordered Probit model to analyze the factors affecting university teachers’ motivation to apply for patents, and use a negative binomial regression model to explore the relationship between different patent application motivations and the number of effective patents. The results show that there are indeed different factors that affect the patent application of university teachers. Among them, the motivation for protecting innovation achievements is the most traditional patent application motivation, which is conducive to promoting the conversion of patents applied by teachers into valid patents; patent applications based on the motivation of showing personal ability are It is believed that it is a signal to external investors, but it can still positively promote effective patent conversion; while the motivation based on organizational management evaluation is a strategic behavior, which has a small contribution to innovation and is not conducive to promoting the conversion of patent applications. It is a valid patent. Therefore, we propose that when universities formulate patent incentive systems, they should abide by the laws of patent technology market development, encourage innovation-based patent applications, and introduce third-party professional institutions to evaluate the degree of innovation contribution of the patents applied by teachers, and provide high-value patents. Provide corresponding follow-up services to effectively promote innovation activities.