But the patent did have an interesting detail: The function would be triggered by theater companies / owners, not iPhone users.
Whatever it is, we’ll probably find out on January 10, when the iOS 10.3 beta rolls out to iPhone users.
Instead of changing your screen / sound / notification settings every time you go to a movie theater, your phone would automatically adjust these settings for you.
The only acceptable phone setting when you’re in a movie theater is “off.”