Bangalore: Patent-wars today are more than just common, with the most recent even bringing the not-so-social affair ironically to the realm of social networks.

This being the case, companies that have the most patents are expected to be most successful, and those that haven’t filed as many patents in the past are gearing up and running this race at a breathtaking pace.

If this scenario makes you wonder which ones have invented the most technologies in the last year, this list compiled by Business Insider should help--here are the top ten innovative companies that invented the most in 2011:

10. Hitachi:

This Japan-based company was most noted for inventing an interactive personal office tour guide humanoid robot. It bagged 1,465 patents in 2011, from the U.S. alone.  It is involved with and has branches in 11 separate industries, including electronics, construction, automotive systems and telecommunications, and hence is involved with an array of research and patent applications. It is the 473rd largest company in the world.

9. Hon Hai Precision Industry:

Although this company’s name might not be very familiar, if you remember the Foxconn factory that was in the news lately, you’d do good to know that Hon Hai acquired Foxconn in 2010. The Taiwanese company was granted 1,514 patents last year. It is the largest company in Taiwan, and 189th largest in world. The company manufactures components for Apple and Intel.