Patent ID: 8405501

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for generating an electronic alert associated with a change of feature data in a map-related database for a feature of a particular feature type, the map-related database storing feature data associated with geographical regions and storing indications when feature data is changed in the map-related database, the method comprising: receiving alert attribute data specifying one or more alert attributes for an electronic alert, the alert attribute data including geographical region data specifying a geographical region and a feature type; using the alert attribute data to create an electronic alert to notify a recipient of a change in feature data stored in the map-related database for the specified geographical region and of the specified feature type; polling the map-related database based on the electronic alert to determine if a change has occurred to feature data within the map-related database for a feature of the specified feature type within the specified geographical region; and sending an electronic notification to the recipient if the feature type of the feature associated with the changed feature data matches the specified feature type, and the feature is within the specified geographical region.