Image Forming Apparatus that Transmits/Receives an Electronic Mail Related to Image Formation, Image Forming Method, and Recording Medium

1 . An image forming apparatus that transmits/receives an electronic mail related to image formation, comprising:

a communication processing section that transmits/receives the electronic mail related to the image formation;

a command template transmission section that causes the communication processing section to transmit, upon detection of a specific event, a notification electronic mail including a notification of the specific event and a command template of a predetermined command related to the specific event in a text format to a predetermined electronic mail address; and

a command execution section that executes, when a command electronic mail including a command of the same format as the command template in a text format is received by the communication processing section, a process designated by the command included in the command electronic mail.

2 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the command template is a template of a command to update a set value for a predetermined setting item, and includes options for a setting value that can be specified.

3 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the command template is a template of a command to update a set value for a predetermined setting item, and includes a format for a setting value that can be specified.

4 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the command execution section executes the process designated by the command included in the command electronic mail when a subject of the command electronic mail includes a predetermined text included in a subject of the notification electronic mail and is inhibited from executing the process designated by the command included in the command electronic mail when the subject of the command electronic mail does not include the predetermined text included in the subject of the notification electronic mail.

5 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the command electronic mail is a response mail to the notification electronic mail;

the command template transmission section embeds predetermined identification information in the notification electronic mail; and

the command execution section executes the process designated by the command included in the command electronic mail when the command electronic mail includes the predetermined identification information and is inhibited from executing the process designated by the command included in the command electronic mail when the command electronic mail does not include the predetermined identification information.

6 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the command template transmission section embeds the predetermined identification information, which differs depending on the notification electronic mail, in the notification electronic mail.

7 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the command template transmission section inhibits the communication processing section from transmitting the notification electronic mail including the same command template as the command template included in the transmitted notification electronic mail until the communication processing section receives the command electronic mail corresponding to the transmitted notification electronic mail after transmission of the notification electronic mail.

8 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when the communication processing section receives the command electronic mail corresponding to the transmitted notification electronic mail after transmission of the notification electronic mail, the command execution section is inhibited from executing the process designated by the command included in the received command electronic mail when a transmission source electronic mail address of the received command electronic mail is not a destination of the transmitted notification electronic mail.

9 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein, when the communication processing section receives the command electronic mail corresponding to the transmitted notification electronic mail after the transmission of the notification electronic mail, the communication processing section transmits the electronic mail including a message notifying that the process designated by the command included in the received command electronic mail is not to be executed to the transmission source electronic mail address of the received command electronic mail when the transmission source electronic mail address of the received command electronic mail is not the destination of the transmitted notification electronic mail.

10 . An image forming method of transmitting/receiving an electronic mail related to image formation, comprising:

transmitting, upon detection of a specific event, a notification electronic mail including a notification of the specific event and a command template of a predetermined command related to the specific event in a text format to a predetermined electronic mail address; and

executing, when a command electronic mail including a command of the same format as the command template in a text format is received, a process designated by the command included in the command electronic mail.

11 . The image forming method according to claim 10 , wherein the command template is a template of a command to update a set value for a predetermined setting item, and includes options for a setting value that can be specified.

12 . The image forming method according to claim 10 , wherein the command template is a template of a command to update a set value for a predetermined setting item, and includes a format for a setting value that can be specified.

13 . The image forming method according to claim 10 , wherein the executing includes executing the process designated by the command included in the command electronic mail when a subject of the command electronic mail includes a predetermined text included in a subject of the notification electronic mail and inhibiting from executing the process designated by the command included in the command electronic mail when the subject of the command electronic mail does not include the predetermined text included in the subject of the notification electronic mail.

14 . The image forming method according to claim 10 , wherein the command electronic mail is a response mail to the notification electronic mail, the transmitting includes embedding predetermined identification information in the notification electronic mail, and the executing includes executing the process designated by the command included in the command electronic mail when the command electronic mail includes the predetermined identification information and inhibiting from executing the process designated by the command included in the command electronic mail when the command electronic mail does not include the predetermined identification information.

15 . A non-transitory computer readable recording medium that stores an image forming program that causes a computer to function as an image forming apparatus, the image forming program causing the computer to function as:

a communication processing section that transmits/receives an electronic mail related to image formation;

a command template transmission section that causes the communication processing section to transmit, upon detection of a specific event, a notification electronic mail including a notification of the specific event and a command template of a predetermined command related to the specific event in a text format to a predetermined electronic mail address; and

a command execution section that executes, when a command electronic mail including a command of the same format as the command template in a text format is received by the communication processing section, a process designated by the command included in the command electronic mail.

16 . The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 15 , wherein the command template is a template of a command to update a set value for a predetermined setting item, and includes options for a setting value that can be specified.

17 . The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 15 , wherein the command template is a template of a command to update a set value for a predetermined setting item, and includes a format for a setting value that can be specified.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 15 , wherein the command execution section executes the process designated by the command included in the command electronic mail when a subject of the command electronic mail includes a predetermined text included in a subject of the notification electronic mail and inhibits from executing the process designated by the command included in the command electronic mail when the subject of the command electronic mail does not include the predetermined text included in the subject of the notification electronic mail.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 15 , wherein:

the command electronic mail is a response mail to the notification electronic mail;

the command template transmission section embeds predetermined identification information in the notification electronic mail; and

the command execution section executes the process designated by the command included in the command electronic mail when the command electronic mail includes the predetermined identification information and inhibiting from executing the process designated by the command included in the command electronic mail when the command electronic mail does not include the predetermined identification information.