Patent ID: 8185586

Claim:
A method for establishing a connection to a communication device while outputting messages stored in a mailbox of a message storage system, comprising: setting up a first connection between a terminal of a mailbox owner and the message storage system; the mailbox owner checking at least one message stored in the message storage system, the at least one message being left by at least one subscriber of a terminal prior to the mailbox owner checking the at least one message; establishing a three-way conference connection between the message storage system, the terminal of the mailbox owner, and a terminal of a subscriber via the communication device if a message of the at least one message stored in the message storage system has been stored for the mailbox owner by that subscriber and the mailbox owner requested a connection to the terminal of the subscriber; wherein the establishing of the three-way conference connection occurs while the mailbox owner is checking the at least one message stored in the message storage system; deactivating a payload data channel of the first connection during the three-way conference connection; the communication device monitoring the three-way conference connection for a termination of the three-way conference connection by the terminal of the subscriber or by the terminal of the mailbox owner; and terminating the first connection in response to the termination of the three-way conference connection by the terminal of the mailbox owner; and wherein the first connection remains established and the payload data channel of the first connection is reactivated in response to the termination of the three-way conference connection by the terminal of the subscriber.