It isn't an idea situation, but patents still generate a ton of income for small inventors. But is this income generated for a good reason or just because ..."

It isn't an idea situation, but patents still generate a ton of income for small inventors. But is this income generated for a good reason or just because ..."patents"? Are these small companies getting paid because of the good work they've done or because they've managed to fake enough to get some patents useful in a war-chest of patents for a larger company down the road?