Hydrogen energy, as a strategic emerging industry and future industry in China, has become an important part of the new quality production forces. Based on the data of hydrogen energy industry invention patents disclosed in the past 20 years, this paper comprehensively analyzes the innovation trend of hydrogen energy industry patents from dimensions such as patent publication trends, industry chain distribution, regional distribution, innovation subjects, and key technologies. The results show that the global hydrogen energy industry is in a rapid development stage, with China showing strong momentum. In the global hydrogen energy industry, invention patents are primarily concentrated in the middle of the industry chain, while in China, they are mainly concentrated in the upstream of the industry chain, with the middle and downstream relatively weak. China, Japan, and the United States are the main battlegrounds for patent layouts in the hydrogen energy industry, with China becoming the country with the most invention patents in the global hydrogen energy industry layout. Beijing, Guangdong, Shanghai, and Jiangsu rank among the top tier of China in terms of the number of invention patents in the hydrogen energy industry. The automotive and electrical giants in Japan, South Korea, and other countries are leading the global hydrogen energy industry in technological innovation, and China is represented by research institutes, enterprises, and universities such as the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sinopec and Tsinghua University. Hydrogen production via water electrolysis, high-pressure gaseous hydrogen storage, bipolar plates, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are hotspots for patent layouts in the hydrogen energy industry. Finally, based on the patent analysis results, suggestions are proposed to accelerate the innovation development of China’s hydrogen energy industry and cultivate new quality production forces in the hydrogen energy sector.