Abstract:More enterprises begin to construct a patent portfolio in order to obtain general-coordinative advantages in the context of cumulative innovation. Making out relationships among the characteristics of patent portfolio is essential for its construction, however, little attention has been given to this issue. This paper identified 19 characteristics of patent portfolio on the basis of literature review, and we try to construct the multi-level recursive model for these characteristics based on interpretative structural modeling method. Results present a five-layer model describing the characteristics of patent portfolio. The amount of patent application, patent authorization, patent for invention and technical scope of backward citation are the basic factors affecting patent portfolio. Tier 4 (proportion of overseas patent authorization, proportion of patent for invention, scope of patent rights and technical scope) and tier 3 (self-citation rate, average patent life, average forward citation and market scope) are the process factors affecting patent portfolio. Patent portfolio size, patent portfolio scope, patent portfolio diversity, patent relevance and exclusivity of patent right are the fundamental factors affecting patent portfolio. Patent portfolio quality and the value of core patents are directory indexes of patent portfolio.