Time-lapse recording/reproducing system and method for recording/reproducing audio signal

A time-lapse recording system for intermittently recording a plurality of predetermined units of a video signal, the system comprising:

• a buffer memory for time-compressing a plurality of audio signals corresponding to N of the predetermined units of the video signal, wherein N is a whole number;
• a multiplexer for multiplexing the predetermined units of video signal and the time-compressed audio signals, wherein said multiplexer sequentially outputs N of the predetermined units of the video signal and then the time-compressed audio signals which correspond to the previously output N predetermined units of the video signal;
• a recording amplifier for transmitting at least one of the N predetermined units of the video signal corresponding to the time-compressed audio signals transmitted by the multiplexer, and the time-compressed audio signals which correspond to the N predetermined units of the video signal;
• a recording unit for recording the at least one of the N predetermined units of the video signal and the time-compressed audio signals transmitted by the recording amplifier;
• and
• a system controlling unit for controlling operation of the buffer memory, the multiplexer, the recording amplifier, and the recording unit.

A time-lapse reproducing system for reproducing from a recording medium a plurality of first predetermined units of a video signal and a plurality of second predetermined units of time-compressed audio signals each corresponding to a previously recorded one of the first predetermined units of the video signal, wherein said second predetermined units of time-compressed audio signals are recorded between the first predetermined units of the video signal, the system comprising:

• a demultiplexer for separating and outputting the first predetermined units of the video signal and the corresponding second predetermined units of the time-compressed audio signals, when a signal reproduced from the medium is applied to the demultiplexer;
• a buffer memory for storing the second predetermined units of the time-compressed audio signals output from the demultiplexer to output the time-compressed audio signals in real time while outputting the corresponding first predetermined units of the video signal;
• and
• a system controlling unit for controlling operations of the demulitplexer and the buffer memory.