Patent ID: 8312094

Claim:
A method for managing a message thread including a series of messages transmitted to and received from a same counterpart by an Inter-Working Function (IWF) that interworks Converged Internet Protocol Messaging Service (CPMS) and another messaging service, the method comprising the steps of: receiving an SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) Converged Internet Protocol Messaging (CPM) message for a conversational message communication; detecting a thread IDentification (ID) from the CPM message; storing the thread ID in a database; converting a message format of the CPM message into a message format that is supported in the another messaging service, wherein a recipient terminal of the CPM message is supported in the another messaging service; transmitting the converted CPM message to another messaging service system, receiving a message from the another messaging service system; converting a message format of the message into a message format that is supported in the CPMS; and transmitting the converted message including the thread ID, if the received message corresponds to the conversational message communication.