A method in a rate adaptive system includes categorizing, by an encoder, a plurality of clusters of data in a segmented image into one of a plurality of categories corresponding to a different predetermined label with a predetermined priority level; vectorizing, by the encoder, the data to generate a sparse vector xi for its corresponding label; encoding, by the encoder, a plurality of the sparse vectors xi by multiplying a measurement matrix Ai(t) with the sparse vector xi to generate a set of encoded information yi; transmitting, by the encoder to the decoder, the plurality of sets of the encoded information yi in a prioritized order; decoding, by the decoder, the plurality of sets of encoded information yi to determine the plurality of the sparse vectors xi based on determining measurement matrix Ai(t); and uniting the plurality of the sparse vectors xi into a single image frame.